The Life of Animals | Philippine Crocodile | The Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) is a crocodile found in the Philippines It is also known as the Mindoro crocodile and the Philippine freshwater crocodile. In the Philippines, it is strictly prohibited to kill a crocodile, but its status is critically endangered from exploitation and unsustainable fishing methods such as dynamite fishing Conservation methods are being taken by the Dutch/Filipino Mabuwaya foundation the Crocodile Conservation Society and the Zoological Institute of HerpaWorld in Mindoro.
The Philippine crocodile is a relatively small freshwater crocodilian endemic to the Philippines. Philippine crocodiles are golden-brown in color, which darkens as it matures. The Philippine crocodile is only found on the islands of the Philippines. This species of crocodile is one of the most severely threatened species around. The Philippine crocodile has been extirpated in Samar, Jolo, Negros Island, Masbate, and Busuanga. There are still surviving population in the Northern Sierra Madre National Park, San Mariano, Isabela, Dalupiri island in the Babuyan Islands, and Abra (province) in Luzon and Ligawasan Marsh in Mindanao
The Philippine crocodile is a relatively small, freshwater crocodile. More surveys are required to determine the present range. Initial population reduction was through commercial exploitation, although the current threat is mainly from removal of suitable habitat for agricultural purposes to satisfy a rapidly expanding human population. There is also very limited governmental support for any conservation measures, and the crocodiles are often killed by the local populace.
The Crocodile Conservation Society Philippines and the Zoological Institute of HerpaWorld working on Conservation Breeding and Release Programs. Crocodylus mindorensis was considered locally extinct in part of its former range in Northern Luzon until a live specimen was caught in San Mariano, Isabela in 1999. The specimen was 1.6 meters long at the time of its release This crocodile was featured in National Geographic's Dangerous Encounters hosted by crocodile specialist Dr. Brady Barr.
