Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: New Release of Crocodiles and Turtles

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CARACAS, May 19 2007 (IPS) - With the arrival of the first rains this month in Venezuela, 343 Orinoco crocodiles (Crocodylus intermedius) and some 5,000 young giant South American river turtles (Podocnemis expansa), raised in captivity since they hatched a year ago, were released in rivers and marshes. “In 17 years we have released 5,407 of these endangered crocodiles, and we now have seven nurseries” on ranches and a biological research station, the Environment Ministry's director of fauna, Eddys Solórzano, told Tierramérica about this annual event.

“We have developed campaigns so that farmers and fisherfolk refrain from killing these species” for their valuable meat and skin, she said.

The turtles and crocodiles are both endemic to the lower plains of the Orinoco river valley and its tributaries, and both became endangered in the past century from over-hunting.