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Crocodile attack database to ease conservation efforts and save human lives

Published on November 25, 2014 at 6:02

Crocodile attack database to ease conservatio


Australia: A database has developed by Australia which can provide the worldwide lists of crocodile attacks. This is found helpful in the conservation efforts of the species and to save the lives of people after gathering proper funding.
The database, called CrocBITE, which started in 2013 was designed by Dr. Adam Britton, a researcher at Charles Darwin University, and his student Brandon Sideleau.
CrocBITE has now received $30,000 in funding through an Economic and Social Research Council Impact Acceleration award so that the database is expected to expanded with the backup from the Imperial College London.
According to Britton, CrocBITE had registered 1,800 logged incidents last year, comprising of fatal and non-fatal crocodile attacks. Currently, CrocBITE has received a record of around 2,700 crocodile attacks globally.
The record has now stretched back to 1864, although Britton admitted that the record-keeping was fairly patchy until recently and still inadequate in certain parts of the world.
The new funding will be used to help communities in Africa and Asia to better the crocodile attack records as well as provide more detailed information on the database.
According to CrocBITE records, saltwater crocodiles, such as those found in northern Australia, are the most deadly of all, killing more than 300 people and injuring around 200 between 2008 and 2013.
Nile crocodiles accounted for 466 deaths and injuries in this period, although the number is likely to be far higher due to the lack of recorded incidents.

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