Endangered Crocodile Nest Found in Koh Kong
A wild Siamese crocodile nest was found in the wetland habitat of Treapeng Peang, in the Southern Cardamom National Park, Koh Kong province, in June 2023. Photo: Fauna & Flora / FA/ DoE
- By Te Chhaysinh
- June 13, 2023 6:36 PM
PHNOM PENH – A wild Siamese crocodile nest was found in the wetland habitat of Treapeng Peang, in the Southern Cardamom National Park, Koh Kong province, in June 2023.
The Fauna & Flora Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Program team announced the exciting news, adding the nest had 21 eggs. Seventeen of them were fertilized and were brought to a safe area where they’ve been placed in an artificial nest that is protected by a fence and is under the constant surveillance of the local community.
The remaining four eggs are sterile and were left in the nest.
The eggs are expected to hatch in mid-August, and the young crocodiles will later be released into the wild to ensure their survival.
The success of founding the nest was achieved in cooperation with the Koh Kong Provincial Department of Environment, the Forestry Administration, and the local community.
The Siamese crocodile is a medium-sized crocodile, considered one of the world's most endangered reptiles in the wild. They are considered critically endangered in the IUCN’s red list.
Once considered nearly extinct in Cambodia, the species was rediscovered in 2000 by the Fauna & Flora and Forestry Administration in the Cardamoms.
Surveys have found Siamese crocodile populations in Cambodia’s Cardamom mountains and along the Mekong River north of Kratie.
Conservationists estimate Cambodia has the largest population of Siamese crocodiles, with between 300 and 400 specimens, out of an estimated 1,000 worldwide.
The discovery of the nest is thus encouraging news, that will help Fauna & Flora’s long-term goal to establish a healthy wild population of at least 10,000 crocodiles in several safely protected areas throughout Cambodia.
