Reintroduction of Captive-bred Philippine Crocodiles

The endemic Philippine crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Previously widely distributed throughout the Philippines, this freshwater crocodile now only survives in south-western
Mindanao and northern Luzon. The total Philippine crocodile population in the wild was estimated at , 100 mature
individuals in 1998. A captive breeding programme, the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre, was
established by the Philippine government in 1987. However, doubts about the availability of suitable habitat and the
ability of captive-bred crocodiles to adapt to wild conditions, and concerns about negative community attitudes towards crocodiles, prevented the reintroduction of captive-bred Philippine crocodiles into the wild.