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Crocodile team to the rescue ! Sightings of escaped crocodiles in floodwaters skyrocket (500,000 crocs on 900 farms & raised as pets)

In photo above the Fisheries Department’s crocodile rescue team investigates a crocodile sighting near Ram Intra Road. 

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The beasts which lie in wait, Fisheries staff leave the paperwork behind for a night out crocodile hunting, after floods result in many of the beasts breaking free by Piyaporn Wongruang

Bundit Kullayavanijaya shines a flashlight over floodwaters near a housing estate in the Hathairat area, looking for red spots in the water.

Mr Bundit has made many boat trips in the past week, but has yet to find his prey. 

He can't detect any crocodile eyes in the water, even with the aid of his flashlight, and Mr Bundit has no idea how many more nights he will have to leave the safety of his home to venture out over the floodwaters in search of them.

At Hathairat, Mr Bundit and his team lay a 100m long net in the water in the hope it will block the path of crocodiles which they believe may have escaped in the area. They want to catch them before they wash up on some street - or even in someone's home

"It's a tiring mission. Catching crocodiles is difficult," said Mr Bundit

For over a month, Mr Bundit, chief of the Lat Krabang Fishery Inspection Office, has left the paperwork of his office behind, and turned himself into a crocodile hunter

Since floodwaters from the North arrived in the Central Plains, reports of crocodiles fleeing from farms and private properties have surged, prompting officials from the Fisheries Department to head into the floodwaters in search of them.

They have been able to catch 11 crocodiles.

Since the floods began, some have even surfaced in Bangkok, though no injuries have been reported. Crocodiles caught by fisheries officials are kept at fisheries centres in Chon Butri and Suphan Buri until staff decide what to do with them.

Given the lax regulations which officials admit prevail over the way crocodiles are raised, the public is probably lucky that no one has been bitten by crocodiles hiding in the floodwaters, as officials have no idea how many may be on the loose, or where they may be lying in wait.

Crocodiles are listed as protected wildlife animal under the Wildlife Reservation and Protection Act of 1992, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international law aimed at protecting wildlife and controlling their trade.

Farmers who want to raise crocodiles must ask for a permit from the department. They must have a safe compound, with a wall 1.2m to 1.5m high, mark the crocodiles so they can be identified, and report any changes in the crocodile population.

Those wanting to export crocodiles must also register their farms with the CITES office. About 900 crocodile farms have been registered with the department. Another 22 large farms have been registered with the CITES office, to export crocodiles. They are raising about 500,000 crocodiles, according to the department's estimate.

Since the flooding hit the Central Plains, the department has received a confirmed report that crocodiles have escaped from at least one farm in Uthai Thani. A tree fell on part of the farm compound, and a wall broke. Crocodiles were able to escape.

The department has also received unconfirmed reports that crocodiles have escaped from several farms in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi.

The growth of commercial crocodile farming makes it hard for officials to come up with accurate estimates of the number of crocodiles which may be on the loose.

Some owners fail to mark the crocodiles properly, or fail to report new births and deaths.

A senior fisheries official working in commercial crocodile farming and export permit approval admits crocodile farms are inspected irregularly.

''Authority to oversee crocodile farming lies with provincial offices, and we don't have regular inspections. It's mostly up to farm owners to report any changes in their crocodile populations,'' he said.

Many more individuals raise crocodiles as pets. They must comply with the same reporting requirements as big farm owners.

Several of the crocodiles which have escaped in the floods are thought to belong to individual crocodile raisers.

Owners face lax penalties if their crocodiles escape their compounds. They receive warnings and at most may have their permits revoked.

Those found without a permit to raise crocodiles can be jailed up to four years and fined up to 40,000 baht. A crocodile owner whose beast escapes and hurts someone could be charged with a criminal offence.

Fishery officials admit it is difficult to detect illegal crocodile farming. Staff have unconfirmed reports that illegal farms have been established, including some on the outskirts of Bangkok.

About a week ago, officials learned that not only are native crocodiles lurking in the floodwaters, but also foreign animals. In one housing estate in the Ram Intra area, a crocodile rescue team caught a 1 metre-long crocodile of a non-native species in a house.

No laws are in place to regulate the way non-native crocodiles are raised.

Parntep Ratanakorn, a veterinarian who represents the Crocodile Management Association of Thailand, said the escapes of crocodiles during the floods has demonstrated weaknesses in crocodile farming management.

The law and the way it is enforced should be improved to ensure public safety, he said.

(Source: Bangkok Post, The beasts which lie in wait, Fisheries staff leave the paperwork behind for a night out crocodile hunting, after floods result in many of the beasts breaking free, 20/11/2011, Piyaporn Wongruang, link) 

Crocodile Hunting Vocabulary

crocodile - large reptile with a long row of teeth that lives in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia, living in rivers, lakes and wetlands, feeding mostly on fish, other reptiles, and a also mammals, sometimes molluscs and crustaceans, first appeared during the Eocene epoch, about 55 million years ago (See Wikipedia)
croc - short for "crocodile"

rescue - to save someone form a dangerous or unpleasant situation ช่วยชีวิต
crocodile rescue team

sighting - when someone sees something rare or impossible to see (example: Elvis Presley sighting)
crocodile sighting - when people see a crocodile

stalk - to follow an animal until you catch the animal
croc stalkers - a team of people who search for and catch crocodiles when people see them (sightings)

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) - a treaty signed by many countries with the goal of ensuring that "international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild, and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 33,000 species of animals and plants" (See Wikipedia)

beast - animal
lie in wait - waiting for a person to come or pass by a place so that you can attack them (and injur or kill them)
the beasts which lie in wait

on the loose - escaped from the place they were being kept (and dangerous)
officials have no idea how many may be on the loose, or where they may be lying in wait

paperwork - the routine part of a job of filling in forms, faxing, photocopying, filing, writing emails and reports งานเอกสาร

staff - workers, employees พนักงาน
fishery - a place for raising fish such as a fish farm (or a natural place where fish live, breeding and creating more fish)
fisheries staff - people who work for the government fisheries department

go out - do some activity (examples: go out on a date, go out to dinner)
a night out - do some activity at night
a night out crocodile hunting  -  go crocodile hunting at night

venture - to go somewhere, especially someone that is unpleasant, dangerous or exciting เสี่ยงภัย ผจญภัย
venture out - go out from a place where you usually stay

breaking free - leaving some place where they are kept and prevented from leaving (like a cage or fenced in enclosure)

fisheries staff leave the paperwork behind for a night out crocodile hunting, after floods result in many of the beasts breaking free

flashlight - a small electric light operated by batteries that you hold in your hand. The British word is torch. ไฟฉาย
shine a flashlight - point the light of the flashlight at something
shine a flashlight over floodwaters

prey - the smaller animal that a larger animal is hunting to eat
has yet to find his prey  

detect - to find that something is present or exists; to notice, to discover or find out พบได้, สังเกต พบว่า
aid - help; assistance ความช่วยเหลือ
he can't detect any crocodile eyes in the water, even with the aid of his flashlight

search - to look somewhere carefully in order to find something ค้นหา
leave the safety of his home to venture out over the floodwaters in search of them.

block - to stop someone or something from moving through or along something else ปิดกั้น
block - to stop something from moving through or along something else กีดขวาง
block the path of crocodiles

mission - an important job, especially a military one, that someone is sent somewhere to do งาน
It's a tiring mission. Catching crocodiles is difficult.

left the paperwork of his office behind

surged - increased quickly เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างรวดเร็ว 
prompting - causing

reports of crocodiles fleeing from farms and private properties have surged, prompting officials from the Fisheries Department to head into the floodwaters in search of them

surface - come up to the top of the water (the top or "surface" of the water)
some have even surfaced in Bangkok

fisheries - fish farms, places to raise fishes
fisheries officials - people who work for the government fisheries department
crocodiles caught by fisheries officials

lax - not paying enough attention to rules, or not caring enough about quality or safety ละเลย
regulations - official rules that control the way some activity is done ระเบียบปฏิบัติ ะเบียบ ข้อบังคับ
lax regulations - easy regulations; regulations that are not strict; not enforced very much 

admit - to agree that something is true, especially when you are unhappy, sorry or surprised about it ยอมรับ
prevail - when something exists or happens in most cases

the lax regulations which officials admit prevail over the way crocodiles are raised

wildlife - animals living in the jungle
crocodiles are listed as protected wildlife animal under the Wildlife Reservation and Protection Act of 1992

international - ระหว่างประเทศ between countries
international law - laws that apply to all countries
domestic law - the laws within a country

trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
controlling their trade - creating rules and regulations that say exactly how they can buy and sell and do business

permit - a document that gives you official permission to do some activity ใบอนุญาต
ask for a permit from the department

compound - an area enclosed by a fence or wall in which people work or live บริเวณ; an area in which a group of buildings stands บริเวณบ้าน
a safe compound
a tree fell on part of the farm compound, and a wall broke. Crocodiles were able to escape.

mark - put some number or writing on something (so you know it, when you see it)
identify - know something when you see it
mark the crocodiles so they can be identified - put some writing on the crocodiles, so that you know 

population - all the animals or plants of a particular type or group who live in one country, area or place กลุ่มพืชและสัตว์ที่อาศัยอยู่ในบริเวณหนึ่ง
report any changes in the crocodile population.

register - make an official record of something with the government, put name on official list (such as recording a new business with the government and getting permission to operate, or permission to marry or vote)  ลงทะเบียน ขึ้นทะเบียน (ขอใบอนุญาต)

about 900 crocodile farms have been registered with the department
registered to export crocodiles

estimate - to say what you think an amount or value is or will be, either by using available information or by guessing คาดคะเน โดยประมาณ
according to the department's estimate.

confirmed - say that something is true, verified
received a confirmed report that crocodiles have escaped from at least one farm in Uthai Thani.
received unconfirmed reports that crocodiles have escaped from several farms in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi.

commercial - for business purposes
accurate - correct, exact and without any mistakes ถูกต้อง, แม่นยำ
estimates - guesses of what the size, value, amount, cost, etc. of something might be การประมาณค่า

commercial crocodile farming makes it hard for officials to come up with accurate estimates of the number of crocodiles which may be on the loose.

mark
mark properly
fail to mark the crocodiles properly

approval - giving permission for some action; when they say "yes" you can do something การอนุมัต
export permit approval - the process of getting permission to export goods from a country

A senior fisheries official working in commercial crocodile farming and export permit approval

inspect - check carefully
regularly inspect - check carefully often at certain times (every hour, every day, every week, for example) 
inspected regularly
we don't have regular inspections.

crocodile farms are inspected irregularly

oversee - manage, make sure that an activity is carried out correctly and successfully; to watch or organise a job or an activity to make certain that it is being done correctly ตรวจตรา ตรวจดู คุมงาน,ควบคุม
Authority to oversee crocodile farming lies with provincial offices

it's up to X to do Y - it is the responsibility of person or organization X to take action Y (if they don't do it, it won't happen)
It's mostly up to farm owners to report any changes in their crocodile populations

individuals - persons; a person (considered separately from their society or community) บุคคล
many more individuals raise crocodiles as pets
Several of the crocodiles which have escaped in the floods are thought to belong to individual crocodile raisers.

comply - to obey a rule or law or do what someone asks you to do การปฏิบัติตามกฎ ปฏิบัติตามกฎหมาย
comply with reporting requirements

penalties - บทลงโทษ
Owners face lax penalties if their crocodiles escape their compounds. They receive warnings and at most may have their permits revoked.

offence - a crime or illegal activity for which there is a punishment การกระทำผิดกฎหมายหรือข้อบังคับ การกระทำความผิด
A crocodile owner whose beast escapes and hurts someone could be charged with a criminal offence.

illegal - against the law ผิดกฎหมาย, นอกกฎหมาย
it is difficult to detect illegal crocodile farming.

established - has existed for a long time ก่อตั้่ง
unconfirmed reports that illegal farms have been established,

outskirts - the areas at the edge of a city ชานเมือง
on the outskirts of Bangkok.

native - someone who was born in a particular place ชาวพื้นเมือง
lurking - wait secretly, planning to do something bad ซุ่ม ซ่อน หลบอยู่
officials learned that not only are native crocodiles lurking in the floodwaters, but also foreign animals.

species - a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other พันธ์,จำพวก
a non-native species

regulate - to control an activity officially by using rules ควบคุม
No laws are in place to regulate the way non-native crocodiles are raised.

veterinarian - a person with a medical degree trained to take care of the health of animals สัตวแพทย์

ensure - to make certain that something happens or is done รับรอง ให้ความมั่นใจ ให้การยืนยัน
ensure public safety

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