Widely seen as a victim of habitat destruction and poaching, the Siamese crocodile had been written-off. Scientists believed the local three-metre reptile had followed the dodo, the Cambodian kouprey and dozens of other species into oblivion. Words by Luke Hunt.Their skin was considered much softer and more desirable than other crocodiles, and sought after for brand name bags, belts and boots. Twenty-years ago the Siamese crocodile – which had once roamed much of Southeast Asia virtually unimpeded – was declared effectively extinct in the wild. But that changed in 2000, as Cambodia began its emergence from three decades of war. Vast tracts of remote forest in the country’s southwest became accessible and dozens of the species were discovered during a joint expedition by the Cambodian Forest Administration and Flora & Fauna International (FFI) in the Cardamom Mountains.
According to the latest regional surveys their numbers have now grown to about 250, rekindling hopes the species will survive. Cambodia is home to between 95 and 99 percent of these. More importantly, DNA tests undertaken by Kasetsart University in Thailand found that 35 of 69 crocodiles at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre outside Phnom Penh are purebreds. "The results are very important. For the first time in Cambodia we have a captive population of animals that we know 100 percent are pure-bred Siamese crocodiles,” said Adam Starr, who heads the FFI crocodile programme. "There are many other captive animals in farms throughout the country but no DNA taking has been done to date, so this is the first time it’s been done and allows us to consider new options for breeding and reintroduction throughout the country. This is an exciting new step for our programme."
Environmentalists said the results were encouraging and could prove critical to their long-term preservation. The results have allayed fears that the animals were not hybrids but indeed the coveted Siamese crocodiles. Nhek Ratanapech, director of the rescue centre, said the tests could provide a crucial lifeline for the long-term preservation of what remains a critically endangered species. DNA analysis showed six possible compatible breeding pairs and 29 hatchlings that might prove suitable for release into the wild as Phnom Tamao embarks upon a conservation breeding programme.
However, despite being protected by law in Cambodia, wild Siamese crocodiles are still being captured and sold to crocodile farms. They take 15 years to reach maturity. Other significant threats include the damming of key rivers and increased human encroachment upon habitat. Phnom Tamao has more than 1,200 animals from more than 80 wildlife species, including a large number of crocodiles rescued from wildlife dealers, poachers, and illegal private ownership. Nhek Ratanapech hopes a breeding programme would increase the number of mature animals in the wild to 500. This would also result in the reptile being removed from the critically endangered list drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Baby crocodiles will be released into the wild once they reach two-years of age at five locations after workshops are undertaken with local villagers to help secure their future. "Siamese crocodiles take up to 15 years to become sexually mature so really we need to have a monitoring mechanism to observe these animals up to 15 years to make sure the animals we release within the next year are breeding," Adam Starr added. "That’s when we can say there’s success happening.”
