News just in: FFI Siamese crocs team making great progress
17/04/2008
FFI is pleased to announce that our team in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains has been successfully combating the threats to the Critically Endangered Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis. Hunting, inadvertent killing (from fishing) and habitat loss all pose very real dangers for the less than 250 remaining crocodiles, but our team has been working hard to address them.
Boyd Simpson, FFI’s Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager, has provided great insight into the team’s activities in the field. Read his update below!
Searching for Crocodiles
We set up a number of camera traps along the Veal Veng marsh at the O’Som Commune at the end of last year. Despite losing two cameras to thieves, photos of Siamese crocodiles and other threatened species (otters, leopard cat, and two civet species) have been obtained so far. These images are crucial to our work as they help us catch glimpses of how these animals behave in the wild. This information helps us make decisions about how best to carry out our work in balance with the crocodile’s natural behavior.
In February, working with community crocodile wardens, we carried out the yearly survey of three main crocodile sites. We are pleased to report that crocodiles or their signs (tracks or dung) were seen at all sites. Surveys were also undertaken at two principle rivers, the Kep and the Trapeang Rung Rivers, neither of which has been surveyed for at least five years – here too we found signs of crocodiles, indicating that they still inhabit these remote areas.
Communities get involved
We have a team of 20 community crocodile wardens that carry out weekly patrols of crocodile sites (rivers and lakes). The wardens at O'Som Commune confiscated equipment used for illegal electrofishing, while those in Areng removed two strings of illegal turtle hooks from the Areng River crocodile sanctuary (which can also catch small crocodiles). Community wardens also take part in monitoring crocodiles and receive training in the use of GPS units and mapping. To assist in river patrolling we have ordered a small wooden boat for the Areng wardens to use.
Community wardens assisted in transferring crocodile eggs from a wild nest to a more secure site and protected the nest until the eggs hatched (nests in previous years have been attacked by predators or damaged by floods, placing more pressure on an already low population number). Young crocodiles were blessed by monks at a community ceremony before being released back at their original nest site. These young crocodiles continue to be monitored by community wardens.
Training
Training in crocodile conservation, monitoring, awareness and research was carried out for wildlife rangers and other conservation workers. A total of 126 participants from 16 ranger stations throughout the Cardamom Mountains were targeted. Participants included Government staff from the Forestry Administration, the Ministry of Environment, and the Military Police, conservation NGOs, community wardens and school teachers.
FFI Communications contact:
Rebecca Foges
Tel: +44 (0)1223 579491
rebecca.foges@fauna-flora.org
FFI’s mission is to conserve threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, based on sound science and take account of human needs. Please support us today.
Conservation and human needs are inextricably linked, download our leaflet that describes how we integrate conservation and human needs.