Status
The Orinoco crocodile is highly endangered due to excessive hunting for its hide. During the 1940s to the 1960s, literally thousands of these animals were slaughtered in the Orinoco River and the Llanos wetlands, and the species came very close to extinction. The Orinoco crocodile was given protected status in the 1970s but has yet to recover successfully. Today it is protected both in Venezuela and Colombia, and also included on Appendix I by CITES. In addition to hunting for its hide, more recent threats also include the collection of juveniles for sale in the live animal trade, pollution, and the proposal of a dam in the upper Orinoco River region. Another problem is the increased population of Spectacled caimans, a smaller crocodilian that can outcompete the Orinoco crocodile for fish due to its much larger population and much more accelerated breeding rates.
It is unclear how many individuals remain in the wild, but estimates range between 250-1500 individuals. The population in Colombia is very low, with the largest sub-population estimated at around 50 individuals in the Casanare area. The largest sub-population in Venezuela is in Cojedes and Sararé, with less than 500 adults remaining. A number of other smaller sub-populations exist.
In November 2007, 50 individuals were held in zoos registered by ISIS, of which the largest population, 35 individuals, were kept in the Dallas World Aquarium. Additionally, a large number of individuals are held at captive breeding facilities in Venezuela. Since the early 1990s, a large number of hatchlings have been released both into private ranchlands (especially in the Llanos where nature oriented tourism is important for the local economy) and in national parks in Venezuela. As many hatchlings die before reaching adulthood, 360 captive-bred individuals have been released only after reaching a length of 2 m (6.6 ft).
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