AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums About Belize Nature Crocodiles

are there any laws that would prevent one from killing a croc if it posed a threat to your pet, or it was in your yard???

I would be curious to hear the answer... we saw a couple at the "feedings" at the water plant. Pretty interesting, Butch was really close, about 3 feet, (his wife was about 40 feet back calling "Honey, did you pay your life insurance premium??!!" ). We know that we'll have to fence our yard as we have a small dog. I want to take her down with us next trip, but it will have to wait for a while...
Vicki

yes, we will have to fence our yard also...2 dogs. Have heard of the crocs eating a few dogs, so can anyone help us out w/this question??

You guys worry about the strangest things. Here in Florida with alligators being protected they are in just about every back yard pond that you can find. On my morning walks I ocassionaly encounter them and they are usually very shy and non agressive. Even if you were to fall into a pond with a gator present unless you are just unlucky, the correct size, had the mishap to encounter one that had not eaten for a week or so, nothing would happen. During mating season they tend to be more agressive and on the move. The chance of a reptile eating your dog would be a pretty big longshot. If I would plan on taking my dog I would be alot more concerned with the various diseases that the animal population of AC harbors. Your dogs are more likely to be accidently posioned than to be devoured by a gator.
Be more worried about those fast talking, two legged sharks that inhabit Belize.
I would scratch this off my list of worries about Belize.

our good friend Barefoot Skinny's dog was eaten by a croc....we are VERY big animal lovers, no children, they ARE our children....so, still searching for an answer!! Also, when we move, will be working w?Bron at the Saga Society....not very concerned about diseases, it's the dogs who run loose/homeless that are sick....not "domesticated" ones

[This message has been edited by rickcheri (edited 06-24-2001).]

Our friends live 1/4 mile south of us (we're 4 miles south) A croc. did eat one of their dogs in December, they were on vacation at the time. This was the second one he had eaten,so the caretakers and wokers got together and killed this one. It was only a 5 footer. We've had a 15 footer there for a long time and haven't been botherd by him.
Kathy W.

YES, holy Moses, we've seen the 15ft!!! Amazing!! So, are there laws against this? We will be living in Tres Cocos...see kcbc, it SHOULD be a concern! Seems like the've eaten quite a few! Need to be concerned also about when the time comes that it is no longer "recreational" to "feed" them chickens...then they'll be really hungry!!!

I realize you love your animals. Nothing wrong about that. The problem being that you are planning on going to Belize which would win no award with the way it treats its pet population. In fact the major problem in Belize is that they are still considered animals and not pets. The concept that we have that our pets our children is not an aquired third world trait. I have said this before my Belize family would never say anything to your face about going to your home and finding the cat for instance walking on the kitchen counter, nor would they say anything about the dog staring at them while they were eating. Or the pets on the bed or the furniture. But you can bet
that the minute we leave the first words out of their months are going to be. "Man that house smells like an animal. What is with this dog following us around and sitting by us on the sofa. Who would eat their food after that nasty cat walked over and sniffed it. The animal hair is on everything. " Every complaint that one can have about an animal is voiced.
If I took my pet to Belize I would have major concerns always about them. First of all our concept of having the pooch go eveywhere with us is not well received. As much as you would like average Belizeans are not going to view your animals as children. Lets say your pet escapes the fenced yard you think that those loose dogs wandering around are going to just greet your pooch with a friendly sniff. They are more likely to make a beeline for your pooch and attack it. If you would lose your pet and they ended up with a local family that nice lovely lifestyle that your pet has now is over. Its back to the dog eat dog world.

It goes without saying that anytime you interfer with the natural process ie feeding chickens to an crocidile that one must learn to live with the consequences of the action.
In the real crocidile world not many chickens get dropped from the sky. Also great way to take away their fear of humans is to have us standing around watching the event looking like the next meal.
You know that Belize still carries out a bait and poision for all the strays. Also it is not unknown for locals to dispose of animals that have what they considered unattractive traits. Two of these traits would be dogs that are agressive and dogs that bark alot. Another easy way for a dog to meet its demise is to be a chicken killer.

Still say that the chance of a crocidile leaving his pond or swamp area and coming out and hunting down your dog are poor. Now the chance of your dog wandering down to the pond, swamp and getting taken off the bank would increase greatly if people are down there throwing in chickens and such. But don't think I would view the crocidile as the problem. Point that finger at us humans.

well said KCBC!!!!

KCBC, I sure didn't notice anyone taking exception to dogs that bark all the time when I was last down there. I was staying up in Boca area and the dog across the street barked all night long every night. The only person complaining was me. The locals said they didn't even hear it. I'm still tired! :^)