Orinoco Crocodile

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED CROCS!
Orinoco crocodile are native to Colombia and Venezuela. They became critically endangered due to hunting for their meat, skin and teeth (which is believed to have medicinal benefits).

Limited comeback
These crocs were saved from extinction when a group of local Venezuelan farmers began breeding them on private lands, establishing a conservation program. Today, only two facilities in the United States are breeding this species—the Dallas World Aquarium and the Gladys Porter Zoo.

These breeding and conservation programs are working together to release and introduce individuals hatched in human care into their native habitats of Colombia and Venezuela, hopefully reestablishing a population in the wilderness.