37 Siamese crocodiles were released back into their natural habitat in the Xe Champhone Wetlands, Savannakhet province, as part of a ceremony in presence of the Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Mr. Chanthanet Boualapha, the Vice-Governor of Savannakhet Province, Mr. Senesak Soulysak, the Deputy Governor of Songkhone District, Monks, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and students.
With less than 1000 Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) remaining in the wild, this species is ranked as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Xe Champhone Wetland located in Champhone District, Savannakhet Province represents the largest of Lao PDR’s two Ramsar sites (Wetland of International Importance) and is home to an abundance of aquatic biodiversity, as well as one of the world’s last remaining populations of the critically endangered Siamese crocodile, endangered turtle species, and wetland birds.
Crocodiles are revered by local communities in Laos who believe that they act as guardians to the water bodies they inhabit and the spirits of lakes and ponds. While crocodiles are not hunted, they remain under threat due to entanglement in fishing nets, the clearance of wetlands and seasonal draining of habitat for expanding dry-season rice cultivation. The Siamese crocodile is not considered to be an aggressive species and is not a threat to humans. Communities that reside close to the species’ habitat continue fishing and farming in the Xe Champhone wetlands as crocodiles hold a spiritual significance and bring good luck to them.
Mr. Chanthanet Boualapha, Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment stressed that the government is determined to pursue its efforts with conservation partners and local communities to protect endangered species and critical habitats in Savannakhet province and throughout the country.
“I would like to congratulate and extend my sincere gratitude to the donors including the European Union and the Agence Francaise de Developpement for their continued assistance and financial support in the field of conservation”, Mr Chanthanet added.
A dedicated conservation program for the Siamese Crocodile in close collaboration with the local communities and government is in place in the four target districts (Xonnabouly, Champhone, Songkhone, and Xaibouly) of Savannakhet Province aiming to restore a viable population of this species.
Since 2019, during the spawning season between the end of May and July of every year, WCS has been locating and counting Siamese crocodile nests in hard-to-access areas. Nests and crocodile surveys have become more efficient since the recent use of drone technology. The eggs are collected and transported
to the village administration office for incubation at ambient temperature for about two months. Once hatched, the baby crocodiles will be raised for about 32 months – at which time they will exceed 1 meter in length – and then released back into the wetlands.
124 small crocodiles are currently being nursed by the crocodile conservation team at the village level.
Since the start of the program, a total of 115 crocodiles have been successfully released back into the Xe Champhone wetlands. 6 to 8 nests are being found each year, and based on these nest counts, an estimated population of 200-250 Siamese Crocodiles inhabit the Xe Champhone Wetlands.
This conservation program is part of the ‘Ecosystem Conservation through Integrated Landscape Management in Lao PDR’ (ECILL) project funded by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement and implemented by WCS. The program in the Xe Champhone Wetlands also supports local communities to assess, develop and promote livelihoods that also benefit biodiversity conservation.
Dr. Santi Saypanya, Country Director of WCS Lao PDR Program added “By working together, the program has allowed to strengthen the capacity of both government stakeholders and communities in the conservation of critical native species of the Xe Champhone wetlands. This crocodile release event is the successful outcome of several years of partnership with all stakeholders to balance the sustainable livelihoods of communities with the goals of wildlife protection”.
Through short plays and dance performances, this event was an opportunity to raise awareness and remind about the importance of crocodile and wildlife conservation among students living in the area. The Crocodile release event was attended by over 200 people from the government of Lao PDR at the national and subnational levels, WCS, teachers and students.