Reptiles
Philippine Crocodile
Crocodylus mindorensis · also called Mindoro crocodile
In a creek beside a village in northern Luzon, a Philippine crocodile slips into the water, one of the few left of a species found nowhere else on Earth.
Overview
The Philippine crocodile, Crocodylus mindorensis, is a Critically Endangered freshwater crocodile found only in the Philippines. Its tiny population, community-based protection, and uniqueness make it one of the most closely watched crocodilians in the world.
Villagers as guardians
Programmes in Luzon pay and reward local people to protect nests and hatchlings, turning a once-hunted species into a symbol of community pride.
Status
Critically Endangered, with a declining population.
Philippine Crocodile: common questions
How rare is the Philippine crocodile?
It is Critically Endangered, reduced to fewer than a hundred mature individuals in the wild, mostly in the northern Sierra Madre of Luzon.
How are villagers helping?
A community-based programme in Luzon rewards villagers for protecting nests, and young crocodiles are raised and released into protected sites.
Why did it decline?
It was hunted for its skin, and killed by dynamite and net fishing and by the loss of its wetlands.
Where does the Philippine crocodile live?
It lives in freshwater rivers, creeks, and marshes in the northern Sierra Madre of Luzon and a few other sites in the Philippines.