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20 Orinoco crocodiles reintroduced to El
Tuparro Natural National Park
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Scientists will monitor crocodiles via radio transmitters
IMAGES: Orinoco
crocodiles. Credits for all images: Mauricio “Pato” Salcedo.
New York (February 12,
2016)—The Critically Endangered Orinoco crocodile recently received a helping
hand from conservationists working in Colombia, according to the Wildlife
Conservation Society.
Twenty Orinoco
crocodiles (Crocodylus intermedius) were reintroduced into their natural
environment on Tuesday, February 2nd in El Tuparro Natural National Park, a
site where an additional 21 crocodiles were released back in May 2015.
The recently released group of crocodiles
included twelve females and eight males, ranging between 33 and 43 inches long.
Just as the previous group, these reptiles will be carrying radio transmitters
to track their movements and monitor their adaptation to their natural environment.
The name given to the selected area was
“Crocodile Lagoon.” Located on the right bank of the Tomo River,
this location has the essential socio-environmental and logistical properties
for the survival of this species.
A biological survey previously conducted
in the area confirmed the presence of large predators and abundant wildlife,
both of which are indicators of a healthy environment. Some of the species
detected included jaguars, pumas, river otters, tapirs and curassows, among
others. Additionally, the site has a generous offering of fish, the main food
of the Orinoco crocodile.
Another advantage of the “Crocodile
Lagoon” is its proximity to Marandúa, an Air Force base located on the opposite
bank of the Tomo River, which will not only guarantee the safety of the area,
but will also be essential in providing the researchers access to the area for
the continued monitoring of the reintroduced crocodiles.
In the case of the Orinoco
crocodile, the Fundación Palmarito is one of the ten partner organizations of
the PVS, and it has been working to save this reptile since 2011 in partnership
with the Casanare Government, Corporinoquia, Parques Nacionales Naturales de
Colombia and Grupo GHL.
This initiative stems from the National
Program for the Conservation of the Orinoco Crocodile, created in 1998 by the
Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, along with other
organizations.
The intense commercial hunting to which
the Orinoco Crocodile was subjected during the second quarter of the previous
century—primarily for the sale of its skin—, brought it to its current
critically endangered status.
Growing up to 17 feet in length, the Orinoco crocodile is one of the largest crocodilian
species in the world. It lives exclusively in the lowlands of the Orinoco basin
that straddles both Colombia
and Venezuela,
and reproduces once a year. Conservationists say that the crocodile’s
conservation will ensure the protection of other species, promote the health of
rivers and estuaries, and provide a greater opportunity to attract ecotourism.
This reintroduction is part of the
Proyecto Vida Silvestre, a program launched in 2014 to protect 10 wildlife
species in the Llanos Orientales and Magdalena Medio regions. Proyecto Vida
Silvestre is led by WCS Colombia and supported by Ecopetrol and the Fundación
Mario Santo Domingo. The project works with ten organizations, one for each
species.
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