Government stakeholders and the Wildlife Conservation Society officially opened the Xe Champhone Wetland and Savannakhet Crocodile Information Center and released back 10 crocodiles into the Xe Champhone wetlands to restore this critically endangered species
The opening ceremony for the Xe Champhone Wetland and Crocodile Information Center took place in Tansoum village, Champhone District, Savannakhet Province in presence of the Mr. Khammone Thilavong the Deputy Director of Provincial Forestry and Agriculture, Mr. Khamta Sinnasone the Deputy Governor of Champhone District, monks, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and students. At the ceremony, 10 Siamese crocodiles were also released into the Xe Champhone wetlands to boost the existing population.
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.
The new Information Center offers an immersion in the incredible biodiversity of the Xe Champhone wetlands and showcases the conservation work carried out by the communities in partnership with local authorities and conservation partners. With educational panels displayed all along the visitors' path as well as wall murals on the Siamese crocodile lifes, the Xe Champhone wetland and crocodile information center invites visitors to discover and learn about the fascinating wildlife of Savannakhet province.
"I hope that the opening of the Xe Champhone Wetland and Crocodile Information Center, along with today's release of the crocodiles, will bring lasting benefits to local communities as part of a long-term conservation effort. I also trust that everyone here shares a strong commitment to environmental preservation and the protection of these endangered species.", Mr. Khammone Thilavong, Deputy Director of Provincial Forestry and Agriculture.
The wetland and its unique biodiversity, including the Critically Endangered Siamese crocodile, are culturally, ecologically, and economically important to the community of Tansoum Village and Laos.
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.
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 Xaybouly) of Savannakhet Province aiming to restore a viable population of this species.
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.
So far this year, 68 crocodiles have been released and 163 small crocodiles are currently being nursed by the crocodile conservation team at the village level.
Since the start of the program, a total of 183 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 center opening ceremony and Crocodile release event was attended by over 180 people from the government of Lao PDR at the national and subnational levels, AFD, WCS, teachers and students.