3 Australian Gator Press Items

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: AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 04 May 99 Crocodile catch case tests native title rights : A case to determine whether native title rights enable indigenous people to catch native animals for food is being heard in the High Court. : In 1994, Murrandoo Yanner was found by the Queensland Magistrate's Court to have illegally taken two estuarine crocodiles. : But the complaint was dismissed because of a clause in the Native Title Act. : The High Court has been asked to decide whether the native title right to catch animals is recognised by common law, and whether it is extinguished by the Fauna Conservation Act. : AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 03 May 99 Cairns crocodile watch continues : Environmental officers continuing a watch a popular Cairns beach today, for a large crocodile sighted over the weekend. A Department of Environment officer saw the crocodile at Palm Cove on Sunday, estimating it to be about three metres in length. : The beach's popular swimming enclosure was closed for the day as the reptile was spotted several more times. : The Department's regional director, John Womersly, says a watch will continue until at least tomorrow, even though there was no sighting of the crocodile yesterday. : Mr Womersley says it is highly unlikely the crocodile would take up residence at the beach but he says unless it comes ashore, there is little the department can do due to the difficulty of trapping a crocodile in open seas. The swimming enclosure has reopened. : AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 28 April 99 Croc doomed by surprise meal : In North Queensland, wildlife rangers believe a 3.8 metre saltwater crocodile could have choked to death, after biting off more than it could chew. : Artie Jacobson from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service says rangers were shocked to find a possum wedged in the man-eater's throat. : "I don't think it's unreasonable to think the animal could have choked," he said. : "They have pretty powerful jaws and if the possum would have survived the original crunch, it could be reasonable to think that the possum decided to hang on for grim death and as a consequence suffocated the animal."

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