Following Crocodylus intermedius specimens who were recently released in the Tuparro National Park
Through monitoring and tracking, 8 individuals were located in the vicinity of the Tomo River (Vichada); this work has seen great progress due to radio transmitters that were installed in 12 of the 21 reintroduced alligators last May.
These tracking routes are being conducted by researchers from the Casanare Palmarito Foundation, the organization that leads the protection of this species in the Eastern Plains (Llanos Orientales) of Colombia. It forms part of Project Wildlife (Proyecto Vida Silvestre), which is a conservation initiative led by WCS Colombia and Ecopetrol, with the support of the Mario Santo Domingo Foundation.
Throughout the monitoring tracking process, the alligators have been mainly located in the overflowing water from flooded savannas and lagoons where the water current is low and food supply high. It has also been possible to establish that the extent to which these reptiles move, covering short or long distances, depends on the mobility capability per specimen.
Keep in mind that the release of these Orinoco Crocodiles has the purpose of establishing a viable population in the wild. In addition, it corresponds with one of the objectives of the National Conservation Plan for the Orinoco Crocodile (which is one of the most endangered endemic species in the country).
The results of this monitoring program will lead to key information that will provide precise data on the mobility of the Crocodylus intermedius in its natural environment as well as its behavior under these conditions. Furthermore, these data will also function as a starting point for future similar releases.