Conservationists have released 50 captive-bred Siamese crocodiles at a remote site in Cambodia in a bid to strengthen wild populations and save the species from extinction.
The expedition, which took researchers deep into the Cardamom Mountains in the south-west of the country, is the biggest release of captive-bred Siamese crocodiles to date.
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.
The species was rediscovered in the wild in 2000, after which Fauna & Flora and its government partners set up Cambonia's first conservation breeding programme, which sees Siamese crocodiles bred in captivity before being released into the wild in remote sites protected by local communities.
Since 2012, conservations have successfully released a total of 196 Siamese crocodiles in safe areas in the Cardamom Mountains.
Fauna & Flora’s Cambodia team worked alongside Cambodia’s Forestry Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and community wardens to attach acoustic tags to 25 of the crocodiles.
Researchers will use the tags to monitor the crocodiles' movements and to see whether they survive. Analysis of this data will inform ongoing conservation efforts.
Watch the moment the rare crocodiles are released
Photo and video credits: Hem Manita / Fauna & Flora
