To save the Siamese crocodile, which has almost vanished from the wild, Cambodia's environment ministry has formally declared a wetland a special protected area for the species. The wetland in the Cardamom Mountains of Pursat province covers about 315 hectares, or 778 acres.
Created after 25 years of research, the refuge is now home to at least 40 wild Siamese crocodiles. The species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
Habitat destruction, poaching and interbreeding with hybrid crocodiles from commercial farms have pushed the pure Siamese crocodile towards extinction. Conservationists say the new protected area will act as a valuable genetic bank for the species; if numbers grow, it may one day be reintroduced to countries where it has disappeared, such as Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia.
The international organisation Fauna and Flora has worked to save the species since 2011, hatching crocodiles at a breeding centre. According to Ei Samay, the centre now holds 648 crocodiles, including 54 females and 17 males, and 246 have been released into rivers so far.
Source: Ei Samay
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