Cambodia celebrates the hatching of 60 baby rabbits Siamese CrocodileConservationists say this is a 21st century record for the endangered species.
Described by experts as a “real sign of hope”, the milestone comes after more than two decades of efforts to restore populations of these reptiles in the remote Cardamom Mountains.
The olive-green freshwater Siamese crocodile can be identified by a distinctive crown of bones at the back of its head and can grow up to three metres (about 10 feet) in length.
Five nests were discovered by local residents in May, and baby crocodiles had hatched by the end of June, conservationists reported Thursday.
Once native to a wide range of Southeast Asia, the Siamese crocodile is now critically endangered after decades of hunting and habitat loss. Today, only around 400 remain in the wild, the majority of them in Cambodia.
“The hatching of 60 new crocodiles is a big boost,” said Pablo Sinovas, who heads the Cambodia program for environmental group Fauna and Flora.
He said the success was a great encouragement to “joint conservation efforts” involving conservationists, local NGOs and the Cambodian government.
The species was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in Cambodia in 2000.
Synovas said Fauna and Flora had worked with local authorities to establish a program to breed Siamese crocodiles in captivity and then release them into suitable habitat in the Cardamom Mountains.
Local rangers regularly patrol the mountains to ensure the safety of the released crocodiles.
Since 2012, the program has successfully reintroduced 196 Siamese crocodiles into the wild.
In May, local residents discovered a nest in an area where crocodiles had never been released before, indicating the animals were breeding in their natural habitat.
The conservation team then deployed personnel to guard the nest around the clock until all the eggs hatched, resulting in the birth of 60 baby Siamese crocodiles.