Community-based conservation of the Philippine Crocodile in north-east Luzon, Philippines
The Philippine Crocodile, Crocodylus mindorensis, is considered to be the most threatened species of crocodile in the world and is now restricted to small isolated groups and populations in the north-east and south-central areas of the Philippines. In 1999, a remnant population was found in the municipality of San Mariano in far north-east Luzon Island, in the foothills of the Northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range. In order to protect the crocodiles and their habitat, the “Crocodile, Rehabilitation, Observance & Conservation (CROC) Project” was established. This region is characterised by rural poverty, a rapidly-growing human population, an absence of central government law enforcement, and destructive environmental practices. The CROC Project and, more recently, the Mabuwaya Foundation, has worked closely with the local government to establish two crocodile sanctuaries, a heightened acceptance of crocodiles through the municipality, livelihood benefits to local communities, and a steady rise in crocodile numbers and breeding success. The Mabuwaya Foundation is also supporting crocodile surveys and protection elsewhere in the country. This paper will outline these successes and the factors that have underpinned them.