Luke Duggleby

CAMBODIA: The Return of the Siamese Crocodile

Back from the Brink

The 21st century started well for the Siamese Crocodile. In 2000 after being declared extinct in the wild they were 're-discovered' in the remote Cardamon Region of Cambodia. Then in June 2010 a nest of eggs was found by a team run by Fauna and Flora International (FFI), a British conservation NGO, one of the world's oldest. 15 eggs were taken to safety and 10 successfully hatched in a 'fake' nest guarded by FFI staff.

Since that 2000 discovery much work has been done to find and research this critically endangered reptile. It is now believed that around 250 Siamese Crocodile are alive in the wild, the majority of which are in the Cardamon Mountains, down from tens of thousands before man started hunting them and encroaching on their habitat.

After successfully performing DNA tests to identify 'pure blood' Siamese crocodiles rather than those who have been cross-bred FFI plan to work with a breeding centre that will lead to the crocodiles being released back in to the wild.

The Cardamon Mountains, Cambodia
   
A Siamese Crocodile baby is preserved along with its shell at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. This baby came out of the shell the wrong way and suffercated and is now the only preserved specimen of a Siamese Crocodile baby in Cambodia.
   
A crocodile farm in the Cambodian province of Kompong Speu. With around 1000 animals occupying only 3 pens, farms like this supply the demand for crocodile skin. Interbreeding hybrids is rampant to increase crocodile sizes. Only taking DNA samples of all the crocodiles here could determine the presence of true 'pure-bred' Siamese Crocodiles mixed up here with all the others.
     
  
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
   
Som Khut, a community warden, steers the boat down a remote jungle river after visiting the nest where the Siamese crocodile eggs were found. He works for the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme which is supported by Fauna and Flora International and the 10 hatchlings are kept at his house.
   
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
     
  
A crocodile farm in the Cambodian province of Kompong Speu. With around 1000 animals occupying only 3 pens, farms like this supply the demand for crocodile skin. Interbreeding hybrids is rampant to increase crocodile sizes. Only taking DNA samples of all the crocodiles here could determine the presence of true 'pure-bred' Siamese Crocodiles mixed up here with all the others.
   
A hybrid crocodile is fed at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, one hour out of Phnom Penh. This crocodile was believed to be a pure-blood Siamese Crocodile until the DNA testing of 69 crocodiles by Fauna and Flora International prooved otherwise. In total 35 were found to be pure-blood Siamese Crocodile. This knowlegde will help to develope a breeding programme that will lead to the 're-introduction' of the Siamese Crocodile back in to the wild.
   
Som Khut, a community warden for the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme and one looking after the hatchlings at his house. Here he stands with his daughter holding some babies.
     
  
Son Piseth, the Programme Officer and expert crocodile hunter scowers the lake for signs of other crocodiles where the eggs were found. He works for the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme which is supported by Fauna and Flora International.
   
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
   
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
     
  
Son Piseth, the Programme Officer and expert crocodile hunter hides from the rain under a poncho in a tropical downpour after visiting the nest where the Siamese crocodile eggs were found. He works for the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme which is supported by Fauna and Flora International.
   
The remote jungle region which has been turned in to Siamese Crocodile Sancturary in the Areng Valley. This valley though has been proposed for the site of a hydro-dam that would flood this entire region.
  
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
     
  
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
   
A crocodile farm in the Cambodian province of Kompong Speu. With around 1000 animals occupying only 3 pens, farms like this supply the demand for crocodile skin. Interbreeding hybrids is rampant to increase crocodile sizes. Only taking DNA samples of all the crocodiles here could determine the presence of true 'pure-bred' Siamese Crocodiles mixed up here with all the others.
   
Loading up the passenger boat to get to the remote village of Prek Svey where the 10 Siamese crocodile hatchlings are being kept for protection.
     
  
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
   
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
   
Son Piseth, the Programme Officer and expert crocodile hunter Walks through high reeds whilst trekking to the nest where the Siamese crocodile eggs were found. He works for the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme which is supported by Fauna and Flora International.
     
  
Son Piseth, the Programme Officer and expert crocodile hunter pushes the boat back in to the river after visiting the nest where the Siamese crocodile eggs were found. He works for the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme which is supported by Fauna and Flora International.
   
  
A crocodile farm in the Cambodian province of Kompong Speu. With around 1000 animals occupying only 3 pens, farms like this supply the demand for crocodile skin. Interbreeding hybrids is rampant to increase crocodile sizes. Only taking DNA samples of all the crocodiles here could determine the presence of true 'pure-bred' Siamese Crocodiles mixed up here with all the others.
     
  
The ten surviving baby Siamese Crocodiles are visited at their remote location, weighed, measured and inspected by FFI team members including Canadian born Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme Manager Adam Starr.
   
A hybrid crocodile is fed at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, one hour out of Phnom Penh. This crocodile was believed to be a pure-blood Siamese Crocodile until the DNA testing of 69 crocodiles by Fauna and Flora International prooved otherwise. In total 35 were found to be pure-blood Siamese Crocodile. This knowlegde will help to develope a breeding programme that will lead to the 're-introduction' of the Siamese Crocodile back in to the wild.
   
Ith Saveng, Curator and Scholar researcher at the Royal University of Phnom Penh catalogs rare preserved animal specimens including a Siamese Crocodile baby preserved along with its shell after coming out of the shell the wrong way and suffercating. It is now the only preserved specimen of a Siamese Crocodile baby in Cambodia.
     
  
Loading up the passenger boat to get to the remote village of Prek Svey where the 10 Siamese crocodile hatchlings are being kept for protection.
   
Siamese Crocodiles looked after at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, one hour out of Phnom Penh. Here 69 crocodiles were DNA tested by Fauna and Flora International and 35 were found to be pure-blood Siamese Crocodile. This knowlegde will help to develope a breeding programme that will lead to the 're-introduction' of the Siamese Crocodile back in to the wild.