Siamese crocodiles are under threat from habitat destruction and poaching, and the minority people within their communities are also suffering. After 30 years of war, the traditional livelihoods of local people had all but collapsed, and most households had lost almost everything, facing frequent starvation and serious competition from outsiders for their land and resources. With few alternatives, many people turned to destructive and illegal activities, such as poaching and logging.

Another serious threat emerged in 2007, when several international hydroelectric companies began surveying the Cardamom Mountains. Now plans are actively underway for two hydroelectric dams. The dams could potentially flood vast areas, displace most of the indigenous villagers, and destroy irreplaceable wildlife habitats, including critical breeding habitat for the Siamese crocodile.

FFI is applying its practical, effective approach to conservation in this challenging situation, by teaming human and material resources to benefit both the Siamese crocodiles and their human neighbors. The goal, simply stated, is to save the world’s rarest crocodile while improving the food security and income of impoverished Cambodians in ways that are sustainable, culturally appropriate and environmentally sound. FFI uses a variety of techniques to accomplish this goal: wildlife monitoring; training community wardens and anti-poaching patrols; teaching organic ways to increase crop diversity and yield; developing agro-forestry; establishing cooperative marketing of renewable natural resources; and raising awareness about crocodile and wetland conservation benefits in the local, national, and international (BBC, National Geographic) media.

FFI has been working in Cambodia since 1996 when the Royal Government of Cambodia invited us to help. In 2001, we began our community-based work to protect the remaining Siamese crocodiles and their habitat, and to improve the livelihoods of neighboring indigenous minority communities. Since then, this project has made steady and significant progress to help the surrounding communities rebuild and enable them to safeguard their sacred crocodiles and natural environment. Three major crocodile sanctuaries have already been established by 17 participating villages, for example. The sanctuaries replenish the wild fish stocks that people depend upon and benefit a host of endangered aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Agricultural yields are on the rise and the number of “hungry months” has dropped from seven to less than three in many communities. In fact, many households are now producing a surplus of organic food to store or sell. Meanwhile, poaching has been effectively halted.

FFI’s flexible approach also allows swift intervention when needed. For example, when a rare Siamese crocodile nest was discovered in 2010, FFI’s team acted immediately to safeguard the nest by moving the fertilized eggs to a 24-hour protected artificial nest to ensure the maximum survival rate. The team was pleased when 13 of the 22 eggs hatched two months later—a serious lifeline for such a small population. FFI is also assisting the Cambodian government to develop and implement a plan to relocate the Siamese crocodiles out of the proposed dam catchment areas to suitable, safe habitat nearby. We have already piloted the capture and release procedure and are now ramping up efforts to implement the process on a larger scale.

But more villages want FFI’s help. Our team hopes to take its proven approach to new areas where appropriate support will benefit people and protect wildlife, as well as to work with local stakeholders to develop, carry out, and carefully monitor the crocodile relocation process at new dam sites.