STOP IT! NEPA warns Jamaicans taunting crocodiles amid troubling video
In the face of rising encounters with residents and crocodiles in Portmore, St. Catherine, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is urging Jamaicans not to taunt the reptiles in any way.
The warning comes as a video, showing a group of men baiting and luring a crocodile from a pond in Portmore, began trending on social media last night, November 27.
BUZZ has been unable to ascertain the exact location where the video was recorded, however, two men can be heard laughing as one uses what appears to be a bottle filled with meat, tied at the neck with a string to entice the crocodile to follow him.
“Danny, gimme some a di camera,” the man began, as his friend watches the massive predator emerge from the shallow pond.
Watch the video in full below:
“Danny, mek sure you catching me! I let this boy come outta the pond and he’s so big. Yeah! I got him, man,” he said, beckoning ‘Max’ like a lost puppy.
The men knew the animal was dangerous even as they attempted to bring the crocodile further inland, as they were heard on multiple occasions not wanting to get too close.
NEPA, which was alerted of the video, demanded that the practice be stopped immediately. The state agency warned that crocodiles are defensive animals by nature and will attack humans if provoked, cornered or confronted.
Please STOP this! — NEPA (@nepajamaica) Crocodiles should not be provoked! It will become defensive if cornered or attacked. Individuals found guilty possessing, hunting, killing, capturing or willfully molesting the animal may be charged a maximum fine of $100,000 or face one-year imprisonment.
Please STOP this! — NEPA (@nepajamaica) Crocodiles should not be provoked! It will become defensive if cornered or attacked. Individuals found guilty possessing, hunting, killing, capturing or willfully molesting the animal may be charged a maximum fine of $100,000 or face one-year imprisonment. https://t.co/XR7EwQjP72November 28, 2019
Jamaica only has one species of crocodile, the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), which is the smallest and the least aggressive.
