VietNamNet Bridge – The body of an endangered Siamese crocodile is now kept at the office of the Ea Lam Commune People’s Committee, in Song Hinh district, the central province of Phu Yen.

Earlier, at 8am on September 29, while fishing at the lake of Ea Lam 1, Mr. Le Dinh Hung, from Bai village, detected a floating crocodile, which was then measured to be 3.2-meter long and over 100 kg in weight.

It took a group of young mane for 7 hours to take the dead crocodile to the commune People’s Committee.

Competent agencies have defied this is the Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), also known as a freshwater crocodile. This species is listed by the World Nature Conservation as a critically endangered species.

The the Siamese crocodile is now kept in the garage of the Ea Lam commune People’s Committee.

According to the World Nature Conservation, adult Siamese crocodiles in the wild are up to 3m long. In the world, there are just over 100 Siamese crocodiles, mainly in Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2004, the Siamese crocodile was first discovered in Vietnam, in Ea Lam commune, Song Hinh district.

In 2006, the Institute for Tropical Biology and the commune set up a Siamese crocodile protection team in Ea Lam, with 8 members, but this team stopped operation for a long time ago due to lack of funding.

Apart from the Ea Lam 1 Lake, previously Siamese crocodiles were also detected in Ha Lam Lake in Song Hinh district.

According to the Institute of Tropical Biology’s experts, Siamese crocodiles are not aggressive and do not attack humans.

This species can live over 70 years, but grow slowly and begin reproduce at the age of 10. When mature, they can be up to 3.5 m long. Siamese crocodiles are the crocodile species that facing the highest threat of extinction in the wild in the world.

The authorities are investigating to determine the cause of death of the Siamese crocodile.

Manh Hoai Nam