|
The Orinoco Crocodile The Orinoco crocodile, the largest
predator in South America, has been designated by the Swiss-based World
Conservation Union as one of the 12 most endangered species in the world. In the
1930s, these crocodiles were hunted so extensively for their valuable skins that
in the late 1980s, less than 700 crocodiles remained in the Orinoco river system
of Venezuela and Colombia.
To preserve this species (crocodylus intermedius), several Venezuelans
have decided to act quickly. They have taken the initiative to set up breeding
centers and to date, there are four privately-run breeding centers in the
country. As a result, many young crocodiles have been hatched and in the
early 1990s. as many as 1000 young crocodiles have been released in the
Hams or savanna region of Venezuela. The Environment Ministry of
Venezuela is happy to report. that. these crocodiles have reached maturity and
are now beginning to reproduce naturally.
Puerto Miranda is one private breeding centre in Venezuela. Set in a
forest-like setting with numerous trees and lakes, it appears to be the perfect
place for breeding crocodiles. Many of these lakes are fenced off and in each
of these lakes, about two males and several females are left to enjoy the
company of one another. It has been found that older, more fertile females
can regularly produce several batches of eggs each year. In one sitting, a
20-year-old, for example, can lay as many as 40 eggs in the muddy banks of
the lake. These eggs are then carefully removed and placed in specially
prepared boxes that are kept beneath high wattage bulbs. 'The warmth of the
lights is essential in the incubation process.
Baby crocodiles bred in captivity often flourish and grow well because
they are kept safe from their natural predators which include the snake, the
fox, the hawk, and man. After a year and having grown about a meter long,
the young crocodiles are released into the
wild.
Adult males can grow longer than a
luxury car (five meters) and weigh heavier
than a healthy cow (380 kg). Despite their
size, they can run very fast over short
distances and moving them about. in the
centre can prove to be very hazardous. The
crocodile is an aggressive creature and it
has been observed that the bigger they
grow, the fiercer they become. In captivity
these reptiles are fed large chunks of ' horse
and donkey meat. Feeding time is a serious
affair as crocodiles snap and hiss at one
another for meat to appease their savage
appetites.
The local experts do not know how
successful these schemes are because there
is no follow-up research on the survival and reproduction rates of the
released crocodiles. Scarcity of financial resources and the difficult terrain of
Venezuela have been cited as reasons fir the lack of follow-up. A concerned
local observer notes that although large tracts of land crossing huge cattle
ranches, where humans are scarce and wildlife is flourishing, have been
declared as protected reserves, the future is still uncertain for the crocodile.
The observer hopes that natural instincts will take
over to enable the
crocodile to survive and reproduce in the wild.
|
