You can't get friendly with a crocodile...

Alligators are as much a part of Florida as sunshine and Mickey, but their reptilian friends, the crocodiles, are not always so warmly welcomed by those who live in the Sunshine State.
But help is at hand after a new study has revealed that the temporary use of magnets to disrupt the internal navigation of federally and state-protected American crocodiles, which have been spotted most often in neighborhoods of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties in Florida.
“Scientists in Mexico have reported success in using magnets to break the homing cycle,” said Lindsey Hord, crocodile response coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
A report in the Sun Sentinel newspaper says: When crocodiles show up where they don’t belong, they’re typically captured and transported to a suitable habitat as far away as possible, according to commission officials. “Unfortunately, they usually return,” said spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro.
As part of the study, trappers have been told to attach magnets to sides of the reptile’s head where it’s captured. The magnets are supposed to disorient the crocodiles and disrupt their navigation so they can’t find their way back.
Besides protecting crocodiles from vehicles and other hazards that could injure them if they try to return, the magnets could also help keep more of them in the wild.
Generally, if a crocodile returns three times, and under certain other circumstances, it gets placed into captivity. An estimated 2,000 crocodiles are thought to be in the wild in South Florida.
And remember the old song from Peter Pan: Never smile at a crocodile...
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