HERALD SUN (Darwin, Australia) 03 December 13 New worldwide crocodile attack database launched in Darwin (Katina Vangopoulos)

A database launched at Charles Darwin University is expected to give researchers a better understanding into the relationship between crocodiles and humans.

The CrocBITE worldwide crocodilian attack database was developed by the university’s Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) department and crocodile research company Big Gecko.

RIEL senior research associate Dr Adam Britton said conservation had almost worked too well, suggesting attacks are on the increase.

“This ‘human-crocodile conflict’ is increasing each year as crocodile populations recover from decades of overhunting, and human populations continue to grow upon crocodile habitat,” he said.

“We need information and data, and this is the first time it’s been put down in one spot.”

The database was three years in the making, put together with the help of a $10,000 Innovation Grant.

It excludes attacks for those on the job with crocodiles or while they are in captivity, but is accessible to anyone wanting to find information on crocodiles, or submit their own entry.

The database can be found at www.crocodile-attack.info.
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