Govt-private efforts to conserve Thai crocodiles

Thai authorities have joined forces with the private sector to conserve Thai crocodiles (C.siamensis) whose population in the wild is now only 200.

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Conservation deputy chief Teerapat Prayunsit Thursday said that the crocodile conservation and release-to-nature project in a venture by his office, the Department of Fisheries, businesses breeding crocodiles and Mahidol University had improved the situation from near extinction since 2005. There were now 200 crocodiles in the wild. In the second phase, they would assess habitats, especially Kaeng Krajan National Park's Phetchaburi River, to release Thai crocodiles, which would also be tagged with radio devices to study behaviour, biology and survival rate in the next eight months to one year, he added.

The Nation