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Executive Surnmary
This document descritres the conservation sBtus of th€ 23
Table 1. Crltlcrlly €ndangered cro.odlllaN 8nd the
species oflho Order Crocodylia found worldwide. Because of
count.l€s wb€r€ theJ occur. Speclg sre Ust€d ln
$e commercial value of their hides, crocodilians have been
d€c.€ashg prlorlty order. Court l€s rre lbted
hunted extensively throughoul de world's Fopical and subtropical
regions for over a cenury. Overhunting, combined
ln ord€r of hlghest prlorlty lor aclloD,
with the morc rec€nt problem of habitat loss, has resulted in a
Thlil.nd, Indonsia M&laysia
number of species being pushed !o the brink of extircdon.
cmbodia, Vi€rnam, L&s
Conservation effons, conconEating on protection of animals
and habitat, began in many countries in the 1960s and 1970s.
Philippins
Some countries have inilrated conservation proglams bas€d on
the sustalnable-yield utilization (SYLD
Chin.
of non-endangered
species, and in recent years lhe use of SYLI programs based
on ranching or farming of crocodilians has increased
Ilemendously.
Thailu4 In lonesit, Malaysia
Allhough considemble effon has gone into crocodilian conservalion
over the last 30 years, it has tended to concentate on
a rather small group of species. Litde or no rese€rch or Ghdial
India, Nepal, Paljstan,
conservation action has been carried out on many of tho most
Bugladesh, Bhutaa Myamd
endangered species of crocodihans. Of the 23 species considered
in this action plan, elevcn of them are endangered.
The seven most critical species in tcfms of ne€d for conservation
are, in order of decrcasing priority: the Siamese crcco' . Training progIans to impmve national management exper'
. Proleclion of crihcal habitats for wild populalions.
dilc (Crocodtlus ridrr€nris), the Philippine crocodile tise for crocodrlians.
(CrocadJLus mindotensis), l.he Chinese ^llig 6t (Alligator . Prevention of illegal hunting and illcgal trade.
dn€rrir), rhe Cuban crc(.odile (CrocodJlus rhonbifer), rhe . Captrve breeding for gene pool proservation and rcstocking
tomisrom (Tomistoia schlegelii), rhe Orinoco crocodile natural habitaB.
(C r o c o dJl us in E r ncdi &t\, and tE Ehari3J (c av i al i s g a n g e I i c us). . Esrablishment of sustainable use pmgrarns to provide incentives
for conservation of wild populations and habitats.
Four other species arc endangered, the broad-snouted caiman
(Cainan latircstis\, the bl^ck cainan (Melanasuck8 niger),
In addition to applying these conservation actions 10 panicular
endangered sp€cies, the actioo plan idendfies geographic
the Amcrican crocodile (Crccodlus acutus'), altd Morclet's
cr&odile (Clocadtlu: nwdl€rir. Bccause so litde is known
regions wherc the status of crocodilians is so poorly lolown tlat
about many of $eso spccics, emphasis is placed on conducting
it is difficull to plan action. The most critical of these regions
populadon surveys to quantify the current populadon sl,alus as
a first slep towards initiating conservation prognms.
Of the rcmaining species, nearly all are under hreat or have 1. West and central Africa (Angola, Bonin, Burkina Faso,
dcpleted populations in some parts ofthei range, Scven sp€cies Caneroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial
have populations ftat are suffrciently numerous and widespread
lo support sustainable harvcst in some counEies where Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Siern Leone,
Cuinea, Gambia, Chana, Cuinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia,
lhoy occur, although most of them still require protectlon and Togo, and zairo)
carelul managemcnL The\e xe Allieator n;ssissippiensis 2. Sou6east Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China,
(American alligaior), C.o.odlllr Jbrlso/t (Ausiralian freshwater
crocodilc), Cro codllus niloticus (Nile crocodile), 3. weslem Pacific islands (New Britain, New Hebrides,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam)
CracodlLus porostls (saltwarcr crocodile) C/ocodlirr Vanualo). Delailed quantitative surveys are roquired in
no\)aeguineae (New Guinca crocor'lj,le), Cainnn crccodilur these countries as a preliminary slep 10 cons€rvation action.
(common or spcctaclcd caim n\, and Cainnn Jacare (yacarc). Preliminary surveys in Palau and lho Solomon Islands have
Thesc rre fie marn species in intemational trade, and conEol been compleled.
and regulation of this trade, and resEiction of lrade to lho
The action plan prcsents a general infoduction to the conscr'
products of farms, ranches, and sustainable harvesl programs is
vation of crocodilians, The overall siiuation of each species,
necessary to ensure lhcir long-term survival. Significant illegal
summarizing and compiling the counry information, is given
trade occurs from Cenlral and Souft America (Cdir?a,
in $e spe{ies accounLs. indicaring the immediate conservadon
crocadilus, Cainran Jocarc) and in southeast Asia (C.rcodlirr
problems and high priority projecls needed. The sl2tus ofeach
porosus, Crocodylus nova€g,rirede, and othcr specios, including
Eans-shipped Calrdn spp.).
species for every country where it occurs is given in the counry
accounts, Conlacts for each country and oach Fojecl are
Priority actions for crocodilian conseFation are:
indicated, with addresses in Appendix L Appendix II summaries
the status of cach species in every country in which il
. Surveys of poorly known species to assess dislnbution and
sElus.