The endangered species reproduce program of Terra Natura Benidorm has started the process of breeding crocodile pups of Siam (Crocodylus siamensis). This month a female of this species has arrived to the park with the objective to achieved the reproduction in captivity because of the danger of extinction in its natural habitat.
The specimen comes from the Krokodille Zoo in Denmark. It is an adult female, 8 years old, weighing 33 kilos and measures almost two meters, although it can reach three meters in a few years. This species is characterized by the stripes of its skin which are between olive and brown colour.
It stands out that the males are bigger than the females and they grow faster. Until now Terra Natura Benidorm had two specimens of this species, male and female but it was impossible to reproduce because of their different size and there was a risk of conflict, but with the arrival of the new female, the zookeepers hope that in a few days there may get together. For now, the integration of the specimen in the crocodile facilities has been a success and there aren´t no conflicts between them.
The Siam crocodile is endangered and included in the catalog of protected species (CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). In 1992, the situation of the Siam crocodiles was so critical that they thought they were extinct in the wild. Later on, populations were found in countries like Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia. Now the biggest population is in this last country.