Wild Productions Limited arrived in San Pedro Town on Tuesday morning ready to film Vince Rose and Cherie Chenot-Rose of American Crocodile Education Sanctuary’s (ACES) work on the island and countrywide in regards to their conservation efforts of the American Crocodile. According to Simon Cowell, for the last 30 years, he has been filming with an emphasis on education, getting people to care about animals. “When they grow to care about the animal, they then have a reason to conserve.”
Wildlife SOS is now in its 15th year and 10th series, focusing on capturing the most challenging situations that fellow wildlife rehabbers face around the world, including animal cruelty, illegal captivity, habitat destruction, and the illegal poaching and sale of protected animals and their parts.
ACES will be filmed through the next week, covering the story of how they began ACES in Punta Gorda to documenting the tragic turn of events that took place on September 5, 2010 that resulted in the arson of the ACES facility.
The San Pedro Sun was on the scene on Tuesday night where the film crew and ACES managed to capture a 6ft female American Crocodile. ACES observed that the crocodile had been captured before, in April of 2011. During the first capture, it was noted that the crocodile was missing a section of its tail. It is believed that poachers had removed the tail in order to illegally sell the meat.
While the crocodile can survive without a portion of its tail, it is at a distinct disadvantage when in its natural habitat. During the second capture on Tuesday night, it was observed that the crocodile had lost its left hind leg. ACES believe that it was bitten off by another crocodile. Once caught, ACES, and film crew relocated the crocodile to a pristine habitat in northern Ambergris Caye.
The ACES episode on “Wildlife SOS” will air later this year on Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet. Cherie Rose is the local production coordinator and liaison between Wild Productions and the Belize Film Commission.
For more information contact Cherie [email protected] or 666-3871.
