How the saltwater crocodile once lorded over Vietnam’s waterways and then died out

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Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) which was once used to be found in Vietnam and southern China has become extinct in these areas due to human activity.

What is a Saltwater Crocodile?

Saltwater Crocodile is the largest of the 23 species of ‘extant’ or living crocodilians. This includes ‘true crocodiles’, alligators and caimans.

It is also called the ‘estuarine crocodile’ as it is typically found in the brackish water of estuaries.

It can also tolerate saltwater in the oceans and can travel long distances over the open ocean, making use of tidal currents.

Conservation Status:

IUCN Red List: Least Concern

CITES: Appendix I (except the populations of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, which are included in Appendix II).

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Habitat: Saltwater Crocodile is found in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Solomon Islands.

It is also one of the three crocodiles native to the Indian Subcontinent, along with the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) and the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus).

In India, it is found in three locations— the Sundarbans, Bhitarkanika National Park and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Threats: Illegal hunting, habitat loss, fishing activities, use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes and antipathy toward the species because of its reputation as a man-eater.

Source: This post is based on the article “How the saltwater crocodile once lorded over Vietnam’s waterways and then died out” published in Down To Earth on 18th February 2022