I enjoyed reading your link, wwh.

The part about the crocodiles was most interesting:

KILLER CROCS. In the jungles of South America, Golden Star Resources Ltd. has faced even more formidable obstacles. The Denver-based company, founded in 1984, is now one of the world's largest specialized exploration companies. Jaguars, wild hogs, and killer crocodiles lurk near the company's properties. Plate-size spiders eat birds, and malaria is a constant threat. Dealing with the locals can also prove challenging. When Golden Star CEO David A. Fennell met with tribal chiefs near one camp, ''they had a prayer to the gods that our geologists would have the eyes to see the gold,'' he recalls. He and his wife also went through a tribal wedding ceremony.

and:

Coming so soon after Bre-X, that may seem like dangerous advice. But gold rushes have always been fueled by people willing to take extraordinary risks. Few are likely to wade through the jungles of the Amazon, or venture to the mountains of Central Asia, unless they're possessed by intoxicating dreams combining greed, glory, and gold. It's a mix that can easily spin out of control. But at least for now, the potential rewards seem too great for prospectors with the deepest pockets and the steeliest nerves to pass up.

http://www.businessweek.com/1997/20/b352798.htm
(Your link again)

"Greed, glory, and gold," not to mention green crocodiles lying in gluttonous wait...the ultimate lurkers.

Best regards,
WW