Wild Tails South Africa

You may have noticed that our newsletter is now called American Wild Tails. We are sharing our newsletter name with a wildlife rehabilitation center in South Africa.

The plight of wildlife joins us half the way around the world. We are honored to be a sister rehab to South Africa’s Be Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Wildlife Hospital.

The City Crocodile

Excerpt from South African Wild Tails
by Sandra Pretorius

I got a call one sunny Tuesday afternoon from our local newspaper asking if I could go and get a crocodile from somebody’s front garden. I replied “no problem, what’s the address”, but inside my stomach felt like it was sitting in my throat!

We don’t get crocodiles in our part of the country, much less in city front gardens. I did not have the faintest clue of how big it was. I knocked on my neighbor and friend’s door and politely asked if she would mind catching a croc with me. After the nervous laughing fits we finally set off to the address. In my mind I went through all the moves I have seen Steve Irwin do.

My friend was ready with the duct tape. I was sure if I could just sit on it, my weight would pin it to the ground.

A huge sigh of release when we got there and this is what I found. . .

a small little crocodile of about 65cm! It lived in my bath tub for about a week, then off he went to the Reptile Park an hour and a half away.