Last week, 120 young Orinoco caymans (Crocodylus intermedius) were released in the plains of Venezuela's Aguaro-Guariquito national park, 300 km south of Caracas .

Since 1990, 2,500 caymans — endangered due to uncontrolled hunting — have been raised and released under a program co-sponsored by the government, public universities and private companies.

Three livestock farms in the low-lying plains of central Venezuela, serve as cayman nurseries, raising the reptiles from hatchlings until they are a year old, and measure 80 cm — and able to defend themselves from predators.

Presidents Alvaro Uribe, of Colombia, and Hugo Chávez, of Venezuela, agreed to establish a binational commission to protect this crocodile species and the Arrau sea turtle (Podocnemis expansa), also native to the Orinoco River.