These 60 Baby Crocs Have Conservationists Swooning

The Siamese crocodile was once found throughout much of mainland Southeast Asia. Today, not so much. Feared extinct only a few decades ago, the freshwater crocodile is listed as critically endangered, with around 400 individuals left in the wild, mostly in Cambodia. Hunting has taken a toll, while large-scale farming has wiped out much of the crocodile's wetland habitat. But, as CNN reports, not all hope is lost. Indeed, conservationists are now celebrating "the largest recorded breeding event for the species this century." Sixty crocodiles hatched in five different nests inside Cambodia's Cardamom National Park at the end of June.

Nature conservation charity Fauna & Flora has been working with the federal government on a breeding program for the crocodiles, recognized by a distinct bony crest at the back of the head, with 196 individuals bred in captivity and successfully released into the wild since 2012. Yet this development is significant in part because no captive-bred crocodiles have been released in the area where at least three of the nests were discovered, CNN reports. This suggests the crocodiles have been breeding in their natural habitat, per the BBC. It's "an incredible result for conservationists and a real sign of hope for the future of this species," the charity says.

"With only a few hundred individuals estimated in the wild, the hatching of 60 new crocodiles is a tremendous boost," says Pablo Sinovas, director of the charity's Cambodia program. He notes "a large proportion of the 60 hatchlings may not survive during the first year due to natural causes, such as predation," per IFL Science. But "some will likely survive and start breeding 8-10 years from now." Because Siamese crocodiles take almost a decade to reach sexual maturity, it's vital to ensure they have a safe environment to grow up in, he adds. That will mean strengthening protections of sites within the park, "shielding these habitats from threats such as deforestation and poaching," he says, per CNN. (More Cambodia stories.)