A conservationist prepares to release a juvenile Siamese crocodile into the wild in Virachey National Park in Cambodia, March 2, 2025. A conservationist group has released 10 juvenile Siamese crocodiles to the most remote area in Cambodia's Virachey National Park after over 20 years since the species disappeared from this habitat, said a joint press release on Tuesday. (Pablo Sinovas/Fauna & Flora/Handout via Xinhua)
PHNOM PENH, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A conservationist group has released 10 juvenile Siamese crocodiles to the most remote area in Cambodia's Virachey National Park after over 20 years since the species disappeared from this habitat, said a joint press release on Tuesday.
Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) Dith Tina praised the joint effort with partner organizations, particularly Fauna & Flora, in ensuring the preservation and growth of the wild population of Siamese crocodiles in Cambodia.
"Since 2011, a total of 196 purebred Siamese crocodiles have been successfully reintroduced into the wild in the Cardamom Mountains," he said. "MAFF remains committed to the preservation of natural resources in Cambodia."
Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth said the Siamese crocodile is one of the world's most critically endangered species. However, Cambodia has the highest number of this species through dedicated conservation and protection efforts.
"This is our national pride as Cambodia is home to the world's rarest species, where this species continues to thrive," he said.
Pablo Sinovas, the country director of the Fauna & Flora Cambodia Program, said that from 2021 to 2023, the conservationists conducted extensive studies to assess suitable habitats for Siamese crocodiles within the park, and a remote location, with the best possible habitat conditions, was selected.
"With this release, we also used novel acoustic telemetry technology to monitor the movements and survival of the crocodiles, providing crucial data to inform ongoing conservation efforts," he told Xinhua.
"The historical presence of Siamese crocodiles in the park further boosts the chances of successful species restoration in the region," he added.
Sinovas said Siamese crocodiles are exceedingly rare, due to decades of habitat degradation and historical demand for their skin.
He added that over the past 25 years, Fauna & Flora and government partners, including local communities, have been working to bring back the species from extinction, with momentum really building in recent years.
"We are now releasing more and more juvenile crocodiles each year, and we are also seeing signs of crocodiles breeding naturally in the wild," he said.
He said it takes around ten years for Siamese crocodiles to reach maturity, and those crocodiles that were first released by the program are now starting to breed, naturally accelerating the population growth.
According to Sinovas, it's estimated that there are roughly 1,000 Siamese crocodiles worldwide, of which more than 300 individuals are present in Cambodia.
First established in 1993, Virachey National Park, situated in northeast Cambodia, is one of the largest protected areas in the Southeast Asian country.
It is a relatively untouched haven for biodiversity with an area of approximately 332,500 hectares and is home to a vast range of species found nowhere else in the world, many of which are yet to be discovered. ■
A local official releases a juvenile Siamese crocodile into the wild in Virachey National Park in Cambodia, March 2, 2025. A conservationist group has released 10 juvenile Siamese crocodiles to the most remote area in Cambodia's Virachey National Park after over 20 years since the species disappeared from this habitat, said a joint press release on Tuesday. (Pablo Sinovas/Fauna & Flora/Handout via Xinhua)
Pablo Sinovas, the country director of the Fauna & Flora Cambodia Program, releases a juvenile Siamese crocodile into the wild in Virachey National Park in Cambodia, March 1, 2025. A conservationist group has released 10 juvenile Siamese crocodiles to the most remote area in Cambodia's Virachey National Park after over 20 years since the species disappeared from this habitat, said a joint press release on Tuesday. (Fauna & Flora/Handout via Xinhua)
