An illustrated guide to safety around wild crocodiles

Simon Pooley*, Kartik Shanker, Meera Anna Oommen, Karunya Bhaskar#

Crocodilians which are distributed across 91 countries, are culturally significant, economically valuable, biologically and behaviourally fascinating, and important apex predators of waterways. Several of these species are regularly involved in conflict with humans. Many of the countries with significant negative human-crocodile interactions are developing countries with few resources for education and outreach to help people live safely with crocodilians. Children are particularly vulnerable, as they are smaller and easier to overpower, and free to play in water bodies inhabited by crocodiles. People in rural areas are dependent on crocodile-inhabited waters and would benefit from advice on how to live more safely alongside crocodiles. This project aims to develop eye-catching, relatively self-explanatory visual education materials on safety around crocodiles with a view to improving the safety of vulnerable age groups and occupational groups across the range of crocodilians involved in conflict, and as a result, help promote tolerance for these important but potentially dangerous apex predators.

*Department of Geography, Birbeck University of London

#Independent Artist