A rare fresh-water Thai crocodile, which is listed as a critically endangered species, has recently been photographed by a camera trap in Thung Salaeng Luang National Park in Phitsanuloke province.
According to Somkiat Yodmanee, director of the Conservation Area Management Office 11, a research team at the office has been monitoring the native Thai crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) in the national park since last October, and has set up camera traps at several locations near Chompoo Canal in Noen Maprang district, where the crocodiles are believed to come ashore to bathe in the sunshine.
He said that the endangered species has been sighted since 2013, but they have rarely been photographed.
The team got a break on March 5th, when a camera trap took some pictures one, he said, adding that the discovery of the crocodile is a clear indication that the ecological system of Thung Salaeng Luang National Park is still fertile and can support endangered species.
He expressed concern, though, that the crocodiles may be threatened if a reservoir is built in the park.
According to published information on the Crocodylus siamensis, an adult grows to about about four metres long when it reaches about 12 years old.
The female crocodile lays 20-45 eggs each time, during the early rainy season in May, in the sandy banks of water courses. Its main diet is fish and other small animals.
