Keepin' it Wild April - June 2022

KEEPER CORNER

Operation: ‘Back to the Llanos’! by Cindy Blankenship

In May 2021, Zoo Miami ecstatically welcomed a clutch of rare and critically endangered Orinoco crocodile babies. This is a historic success for Zoo Miami and invaluable progress toward conservation of the species. The last and only other successful clutch of Orinoco crocodiles hatched back in 1980 and amazingly, the lone survivor of that clutch was “Bella,” the mother of these new babies!

Orinoco crocodiles were hunted extensively in the mid mid 1900s for the skin trade. Sadly, in just a few short years, the entire wild population was brought to the edge of extinction. While protected status was awarded to the species in the 1970s, wild populations have not rebounded, and illegal hunting and collection continues to plague the species. Socio-economic issues in Venezuela further hinder conservation efforts in the area.

Despite these hardships, Dallas World Aquarium has been working hard in partnership with Gladys Porter Zoo and Zoo Miami to reintroduce captive bred Orinoco crocodiles back to the wild. Long standing member of the IUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group and chair of the Venezuelan Crocodile Specialist group, Alvaro Velasco Barbieri, has worked tirelessly for many years at re-establishment and monitoring of wild Orinoco crocodiles. Together, crocodiles hatched at all three facilities are being prepared for operation ‘Back to the Llanos’!

With the help of several other participating zoological institutions, over the course of about 18 months, these baby crocodiles will be raised until approximately three feet in size, giving them their best chance at survival in the wild. Once ready, they will make the journey to Venezuela where Alvaro will help oversee their successful transition.

These offspring will be released at a head-starting facility located in the llanos of Central Venezuela. The facility, Hato Masaguaral, has been involved in conservation and research of Orinoco crocodiles for nearly 50 years. Each year, Hato Masaguaral collects wild eggs from nests and is able to hatch and release approximately 200 babies annually. Some of the offspring released will even be fitted with satellite tracking devices, helping to secure the future for the species by unveiling secrets such as home range of individuals, activity, habitat use, and much more!

This is a pivotal moment for Orinoco crocodiles and the culmination of a lot of hard work and good luck! Zoo Miami is thrilled to be a part of such a meaningful effort towards conservation of this species.

Want to meet a baby crocodile? Check them out at the entrance to Amazon and Beyond in the Village Plaza, and don’t forget to say hello to mom, ‘Bella’, and dad, ‘One’, basking in the sun in the Flooded Forest!

Drop by for a keeper talk in front of their habitat and find out more about these fascinating creatures. See days and times for all of our keeper talks at the front entrance sign and on our website at www.zoomiami.org/meet-the-zookeeper.