VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY (Hanoi, Vietnam) 25 May 05 Survey team discover rare crocodiles in Laos
Vientiane (VNA): A small breeding population of Siamese crocodiles has been found by a survey team in Savannakhet province, southern Laos.
The harmless Siamese crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) are among the world's most endangered crocodies, and are ranked as "critically endangered" by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
They are very rare in Southeast Asia. The current crocodile surveys are the first detailed surveys to be undertaken for the species in Laos, said a press release from the IUCN.
The survey revealed seven crocodile hatchlings in a small swamp in Savannakhet in March 2005. Two hatchlings were caught and measured for scientific research and then released. An old crocodile nest was also found.
From March to May 2005, 20 wetlands in central and southern Laos were surveyed. The survey team confirmed that crocodiles live at four sites, and local communities reported crocodiles at another six sites.
The Lao Crocodile Survey is a project run by the Department of Forestry, the Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre, the National Agriculture and Forestry Resource Institute, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Programme on behalf of the four governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam.
Survey team discover rare crocodiles in Laos

