Crocodile Specialist Group event puts South Africa and University's Vet Faculty on the world map

Abstract

A ‘huge success for the University of Pretoria and the Faculty of Veterinary Science and judged as one of the best Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) working meetings held thus far”. This is how the Director of the OP Faculty of Veterinary Science’s Exotic Leather Research Centre (ELRC), Prof Gerry Swan describes the 24th working meeting of the IUCN CSG that was held in Skukuza at the end of May 2016. More than 340 delegates from 42 countries attended this prestigious event of the IUCN/SSC/CSG Workgroup at Skukuza which returned to South Africa after 43 years with the 2nd working meeting having been held at Ndumu Game Reserve in 1973. The theme for this year’s event was “Crocodiles, Communities and Livelihoods” which highlighted the complex relationship between Africa’s top aquatic predator, the Nile crocodile, and the communities who often share the same scarce aquatic resources with these ancient reptiles.