EVENING POST (Swansea, UK) 30 April 08 'Pluck Ness Monster' In Crocodile Expert Probe
A crocodile expert has been to investigate claims of a sighting of a metre-long reptile at a Swansea lake.
Police and RSPCA officers were at Pluck Lake, opposite Morrisons in Morfa on Sunday, after receiving a report of a crocodile there.
The sighting has sparked the interest of Gwilym Games, a member of the Centre for Fortean Zoology.
The group specialises in reports of strange and unusual animals around the globe, and a crocodile out of its natural habitat in a Swansea pond fits the bill perfectly.
Mr Games said: "I went down to the locality to see what I could find out.
"There have been quite a few reports of these crocodiles in different lakes in the UK.
"Nobody has ever found these crocodiles, but, because of the number found illegally, it is not impossible.
"Looking at the lake, there are a number of reed beds.
"Most of the crocodiles kept as pets are caimans, which are nocturnal animals."
The chances of the croc surviving could be hit by a cold snap, according to Mr Games.
"If it is cold, they will go under the mud and stay down there in semi-hibernation.
"If one has gone down, it could be just sitting there.
"It's going to be difficult to capture because it is nocturnal, and I suspect that unless the weather improves it will die, because they are used to a tropical climate."
He said there were various reports of people looking after Caimen.
"People dump dogs and if they have Caimen, which start small and grow to up to five feet, it is definitely not impossible you will find them in there."
The caller who raised the alert at around noon on Sunday was certain the creature was a crocodile, and said it was about one metre long.
"We went down and had a look. It is cold, and if it was a genuine call it could be an escaped pet - it's not beyond the bounds of imagination."
He said experts had told them that if a crocodile or alligator was out in the current temperatures, it could be lurking under the water.
He added: "It's best not to go swimming."
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=161366&command=displayContent&sourceNode=258861&home=yes&more_nodeId1=161375&contentPK=20506455
WESTERN MAIL (UK) 30 April 08 Does a Welsh Loch Ness monster lurk in city lake? (Robin Turner)
Experts failed to pour cold water last night on reports a crocodile is alive and well and living in a Welsh lake.
Crocodile hunters are heading for Swansea after it emerged one of the reptiles has been spotted patrolling the 20ft deep pool in the middle of a city business park.
The creature is normally the preserve of warmer climes such as Africa, Asia and Australia, but fisherman Steve Jenkins is convinced he saw a specimen in Morfa Enterprise Zone’s Pluck Lake.
Mr Jenkins, who lives nearby, was on Sunday walking his dog around the lake, which is the size of four football pitches, when he saw what he first thought was a log in the water.
He said yesterday, “It was definitely a crocodile. There was a white van submerged in the water and it swam over the top of it so I had a good look. It was a metre long and had a long tail.
“I’ve been ribbed mercilessly since I reported it to the police – people whistle the tune of Crocodile Shoes when they see me. But I don’t care what people think, I know what I saw.”
Natural history expert Professor Paul Brain of Swansea University, said it was possible for a crocodile to live in a relatively cold climate.
He said, “If this is not a mistaken sighting, the crocodile would simply slow down or even shut down for a while during cold weather then spring back to life when the water gets warmer.
“There are a lot of exotic pets out there and this could be one which outgrew its tank and the lake may have been a suitable place to dump it.”
The shores of the lake were busy yesterday with potential croc-watchers, including Gwilym Games from the Fortean Zoology Centre.
Parallels were drawn with the Loch Ness Monster, which is worth around £20m a year to Scotland’s tourism industry.
Geoff Haden, vice-chairman of Tourism Swansea, said: “If we have the Loch Pluck Monster in our midst then it could be the start of a massive influx of tourists.
“Loch Ness has made an incredible amount of money from its monster – having one here can only be a good thing for the Swansea economy.”
A spokesman for Visit Scotland said the Nessy legend would take a lot of beating.
He said, “While research has been conducted at many lakes, Loch Ness is the icon for monsters and Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, is without doubt the grand daddy of them all. It is to Loch Ness where myriad researchers, professional and amateur, from all walks of life, have flocked with their cameras and sonars, hopes, fears and aspirations to solve the greatest mystery on Earth, Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.
“Loch Ness investigations have included lures, fish baits, exploding light bulbs, submarines, scanning sonars, echo sounders, telephoto cameras, underwater cameras with strobe flashes, movie cameras, video and, now, digital cameras too.”
A spokesman for Swansea Police said yesterday officers had visited the lake but had not seen anything. RSPCA officials have also visited Pluck Lake but have not reported seeing anything like a crocodile.
But Leicestershire-based Beastwatch UK says the number of sightings of non-indigenous, exotic animals in Britain has rocketed this century. The group has received more than 10,000 sightings of everything from wallabies to dangerous spiders, crocodiles and even a penguin since 2000.
Carpenter Chris Mullins, the founder and co-ordinator of Beastwatch UK, attributes the surge to climate change, zoo thefts and exotic pet escapes.
He said, “Our figures show that in the last eight years 51 wallabies, 13 spiders including a tarantula and a black widow, 13 racoons, 10 crocodiles, seven wolves, three pandas, two scorpions and one penguin have been spotted.”
There were also reported sightings of 5,931 big cats and 332 wild boars roaming the countryside and 3,389 sharks in British waters.
In the 1990s, after the craze prompted by the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze, more than 100 terrapins were found in Cardiff’s Roath Park Lake.
When the pets grew to the size of dinner plates the novelty wore off and they were often placed in the nearest watercourse. The National Terrapin Project’s 1997 survey revealed that Roath Park contained 125 of these unwanted pets – more than any other urban lake. When they demonstrated a liking for chick eggs, small animals and birds – not to mention biting human fingers – many were rounded up and sent off to a terrapin centre in Italy.
Having a monster here can only be a good thing for the economy
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/04/30/does-a-welsh-loch-ness-monster-lurk-in-city-lake-91466-20839375/
THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 30 April 08 Crocodile spotted near Welsh supermarket (Andy Bloxham)
A hunt was underway today after reports that a crocodile was spotted in an ornamental lake.
Fisherman Steve Jenkins, 38, was walking his dog on the bank when he spotted what he thought was a log swim away.
He said he realised it was a crocodile and called the police.
Police officers and RSPCA inspectors visited the scene but could not find the reptile.
Mr Jenkins said: “People think I was seeing things but it was definitely a crocodile, about a metre in length with a long tail.
“I’ve been ribbed mercilessly since I reported it to the police - people whistle the tune of Crocodile Shoes when they see me.
“But I don’t care what people think, I know what I saw.”
Mr Jenkins was walking his dog along the bank of six acre, 20ft-deep Pluck Lake in Swansea, Wales, at around 11.40am on Sunday.
He was looking at a white van submerged in the water when he saw what he thought was a log begin moving by using its tail.
He walked closer and saw what he thought was a 3ft long reptile.
Mr Jenkins dialled the emergency services and reported the creature but two officers from South Wales Police visited the scene and could find no trace of it.
RSPCA inspectors have also visited the pool but found nothing.
Expert Paul Brain, professor of natural history at Swansea University, said it was possible for crocodiles to survive in British waters.
He said: “The crocodile would simply slow down or even shut down for a while during cold weather then spring back to life when the water gets warmer.
“There are a lot of exotic pets out there and this could be one which outgrew its tank and the lake may have been a suitable place to dump it.”
Inspector Emma Tyler, of South Wales Police, said there had been no further reports of the crocodile and no further action was expected at this stage.
She said: “We are not planning to do anything else.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1914892/Crocodile-spotted-near-Welsh-supermarket.html
