Researchers delighted by discovery of endangered Siamese crocodiles in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Sept 26 (dpa): Researchers have discovered eight hatchlings of the endangered Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) in the wilds of Cambodia.

The hatchlings were tracked down during the reptiles' breeding season in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary by a team of staff from the Environment Ministry and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a joint statement said.

The rare hatchlings are now under round the clock guard in the sanctuary, which is in the east of the country.

This was the first evidence in ten years of a Siamese crocodile breeding population in the region, the statement said. The researchers said it had been a "very exciting discovery."

The team had been conducting normal field research during the breeding season, the release said. "Then came the exciting moment when someone from our team first spotted the glint in the eyes of crocodile cubs," said a delighted Sothea Bun, one of the researchers involved.

Milou Groenenberg, biodiversity expert at the WWF, spoke of a breakthrough. "We were previously unsure whether there were still breeding pairs in the local population, whether nests were present and whether animals had hatched successfully," she explained.

The discovery in Srepok raises prospects for the Siamese crocodile's survival in the wild. The discovery was "a significant find for the species in Cambodia and worldwide," according to the park statement.

The rare Siamese crocodiles grow to a maximum of four metres and live exclusively in freshwater rivers, lakes and swamps. They used to be widespread in large parts of South-East Asia, but their population has been declining sharply since the early 1990s.

The main threats are loss of natural habitat, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, hybridization between different crocodile species and hydropower plants.

According to the WWF, there are currently an estimated 200 to 400 Siamese crocodiles still living in the wild in Cambodia. According to the World Conservation Union, there are at most 1,000 adult Siamese crocodiles left in the whole of South-East Asia. - dpa