DNA testing by Fauna & Flaura International offers new hope for one of world’s rarest crocodiles
Last updated 10/02/2009 10:46:06
Fauna & Flora International has started a ‘first of its kind' DNA analysis of the captive crocodile population at a wildlife centre in Cambodia.
The project, in collaboration with the Cambodian Forestry Administration and Wildlife Alliance, aims to determine which of the crocodiles housed at the centre are pure-bred Siamese crocodiles and which are hybrids.
If a suitable number of pure-bred Siamese crocodiles can be identifiedthrough DNA analysis, it will mark the beginning of the first ever Siamese crocodile captive breed and release programme in Cambodia.
The Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, a facility run by the Government of Cambodia, houses animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, which are unable to be released back to their natural habitats, including more than 70 crocodiles.
Extinct from 99% of its original range, the Siamese crocodile is listed as Critically Endangered. Once common and widespread throughout Southeast Asia, Siamese crocodiles declined swiftly during the 20th century until they were declared effectively extinct in the wild.
The Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme, a joint initiative by FFI and the Cambodian Forestry Administration, began in 2000 when Siamese crocodiles were rediscovered in Cambodia during a biological survey expedition.
Since the discovery, FFI and its partners have scoured Cambodia and neighbouring countries to establish more information on the status and distribution of Siamese crocodiles.
Most inhabit the Cardamom Mountains of southwest Cambodia, which the UN Food and Agriculture Organization calls ‘one of the most important sites for biodiversity conservation in Asia'.