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Tuesday, June 17, 2025
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World Crocodile Day: Ancient Reptiles Edge Back from Extinction in Laos

This Week

The Siamese crocodile, once declared extinct in the wild, has quietly held on in the hidden wetlands of Southeast Asia. 

Today, roughly 1,000 of these rare reptiles remain, survivors of 500,000 years of evolution.

With their broad snouts, olive-green armor, and ancient bloodlines, Siamese crocodiles are living fossils, and one of the world’s most endangered species. 

Growing up to three meters long, they live in freshwater rivers, swamps, and floodplains, relying on seasonal rhythms and healthy wetlands to survive.

On World Crocodile Day, 17 June, Laos is celebrating a major win in the fight to protect one of its oldest wild residents.

Recent Wins

On 9 May, ten individuals of Siamese crocodiles were released into the Xe Champhone wetlands in Champhone district, Savannakhet Province. 

Local Communities released 10 Critically Endangered Siamese Crocodiles into the Xe Champhone Wetlands in Laos’ Savannakhet province. 09 May 2025. (photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society)

Led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Laos, the operation marked the final step of the “Ecosystem Conservation through Integrated Landscape Management in Laos” (ECILL) project.

“The [ECILL] project may be over, but our work isn’t,” said Robert van Zalinge, Senior Technical Advisor Savannakhet Landscape at WCS Laos. “We remain committed to supporting local communities and the government in protecting Xe Champhone’s biodiversity.”

The release is part of ongoing efforts to revive the Siamese crocodile population.

This species has been listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1996. 

Their survival now represents one of conservation’s most pressing challenges, with every remaining individual considered “precious beyond measure,” according to WCS.

Recent surveys have documented Siamese crocodiles in four southern provinces with the largest and most viable populations surviving in Savannakhet and Attapeu provinces.

The Xe Champhone Wetlands Complex is one of the two Ramsar sites of Lao PDR. It is home to abundant aquatic biodiversity that supports the livelihoods of more than 30 communities. (photo credit: Sounantha Boutxakittilath/Wildlife Conservation Society)

A Glimmer of Hope

Baby Siamese Crocodiles are raised for about 32 months until they exceed one meter in length, at which point they are released back into the wetlands. (photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society)

Signs of recovery are emerging. 

Siamese crocodiles breed during the dry season, nesting on muddy riverbanks. Unlike most reptiles, they’re devoted parents, one of the few species known to care for their young. 

Still, breeding has been limited, with fewer than 1,000 individuals left in the wild.

Thanks to targeted conservation efforts, there’s been a clear uptick in nesting. Annual nest counts have increased from just 1–2 before the program began to 6–8 in recent years. 

This points to a slowly stabilizing local population of around 200–250 crocodiles.

The conservation team collected Siamese crocodile eggs at the Xe Champhone Wetlands. (photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society Laos)

The conservation process is careful and hands-on. Eggs are collected and incubated at natural temperatures for about two months. 

Once hatched, the young crocodiles are raised for nearly three years, until they grow over a meter long, the minimum size considered safe for release into the wild.

But conserving such a species isn’t just about science, it’s about people. 

Zalinge credited the conservation success in Xe Champhone to the community participation.

“Communities work with us on threat detection, monitoring of biodiversity, and the management of fisheries, land use and water,” Zalinge said. 

Xe Champhone Wetlands and Crocodile Information Center. Tansoum village, Champhone District, Savannakhet Province. (photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society Laos)

Live and Thrive in the South

Beyond their endangered status, Siamese crocodiles play an irreplaceable ecological role. As apex predators, they help keep ecosystems balanced by controlling populations of prey species, including those that may carry diseases, van Zalinge said. 

“Siamese crocodiles keep natural ecosystems healthy. By controlling populations of prey species, they reduce impact on plants and other animals,” he added. “They can also reduce the risk of serious disease outbreaks by rapidly removing sick animals from the population.”

Trouble in Paradise

Despite being a relatively safe haven, the Xe Champhone Wetlands face mounting environmental pressure .

Zalinge identified wetland drainage since 2019 as the most pressing threat to the crocodile’s survival. 

However, he noted modest progress in slowing down habitat degradation saying, “The amount of wetland lost each year has reduced since 2023.”

Although the species is no longer hunted for commercial purposes, its habitat is rapidly shrinking due to dry-season rice farming, infrastructure development, overfishing, vegetation loss, and irrigation.

As of mid-2025, 68 crocodiles have been released into Xe Champhone, with another 163 being cared for by local conservation teams. Since the program began, a total of 183 crocodiles have returned to the wetlands.

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