A grassroots conservation effort to rescue critically endangered Siamese crocodiles is taking place in a village in Southern Laos. With less than 1,000 surviving in the wild, this was a last refuge for one of the rarest reptiles left on Earth.
Another ten Siamese crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) were released into the waters of the Xe Champhone Wetlands in a reintroduction campaign led by rural Lao villagers with support from district officials.
“I hope that the opening of the Xe Champhone Wetland and Crocodile Information Center, along with today’s release of the crocodiles, will bring lasting benefits to local communities as part of a long-term conservation effort,” Khammone Thilavong, deputy director of the Provincial Forestry and Agriculture Ministry, said.
Siamese crocodiles are considered spiritual guardians—symbols of fortune and harmony—and so community volunteers, in tandem with district officials, have become guardians of the animal’s future, True Activist reported. Conservation efforts over the past two decades include egg collection from the wild and raising the baby crocodiles in village facilities until they reach three feet long so they have the ability to survive alone in the wild.
While the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorized the Siamese crocodile as critically endangered, this grassroots model of conservation helped reintroduce 183 crocodiles back into their natural habitat.
“I also trust that everyone here shares a strong commitment to environmental preservation and the protection of these endangered species,” Thilavong said.
The biggest threat to Siamese crocodiles in Laos is from the draining and clearing of wetlands for dry-season rice farming as well as lethal bycatch in local fishing nets, True Activist reported.
With the recent opening of the Xe Champhone Wetland and Crocodile Information Center, it’s become a point place for awareness, where a connection between people and the ecosystem is re-imagined. The center includes large-scale murals, storytelling exhibits, and educational displays to help explain local biodiversity and increase the grassroots conservation efforts.
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