Cambodia marks comeback of world’s most endangered Siamese crocodiles

The Siamese crocodile is one of the world’s rarest crocodiles, largely due to decades of hunting and habitat loss

At least 60 baby crocodiles of the rare Siamese species were born in Cambodia marking a hatching record for the endangered species in this century.

The crocodile eggs successfully hatched in Cambodia’s Cardamom National Park, conservationists said, adding that the record birth marked a “real sign of hope”.

Cambodia has been running conservationist programmes, like breeding the crocodiles captively and then releasing them in the wild, for two decades to save the species from extinction.

The Siamese crocodile is one of the world’s rarest crocodiles, largely due to decades of hunting and habitat loss. They are categorised as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List – an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological species.

The birth of 60 new crocodiles gives a “massive boost” for the survival prospects of the species, conservation group Flora and Fauna said in a statement.

Characterised by its olive-green colour and distinct bony crest at the back of its head, these crocodiles can grow up to nearly 10ft in length.

Once widespread throughout Southeast Asia, they have disappeared from 99 per cent of its former range. These freshwater reptiles have faced decades of hunting and habitat loss, leading to their classification as a critically endangered species.

Now only 400 crocodiles are estimated to be left, mostly in Cambodia.

Conservationists have been engaging with the local Indigenous communities to protect the species and help them thrive. Locals patrol the regions where the new crocodiles are released.

“The local Indigenous People revere this reptile, and it is taboo to kill or hurt one,” Flora and Fauna said in a statement.

Community-led monitoring and anti-poaching activities are helping to protect key breeding sites, the group said, adding that its a collaborative effort with the Cambodian government to bolster the surviving wild crocodile population through a conservation-breeding and reintroduction programme.

Since 2012, the programme has successfully released a total of 196 captive-bred Siamese crocodiles in safe areas and suitable habitats in the Cardamom Mountains.