Saving Seng’s species

In March 2026, Zoo Atlanta welcomed a new friend to Scaly Slimy Spectacular: our Siamese crocodile, Seng. While he may seem like any other crocodilian, Seng’s’ species is listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) Red List and furthermore is considered one of the world’s most endangered crocodilian species.

Adult Siamese crocodiles are usually a dark olive, yellowish or brownish green to black, with a dark cross banding on the tail. The belly is generally yellowish white. Males of this species grow to be about 11 feet long but can reach up to 13 feet. The diet of these crocodiles includes a wide variety of prey including invertebrates, frogs, reptiles, and birds and mammals, including carrion.

The Siamese crocodile habitat consists of a wide range of freshwater sites found throughout Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Historically, Siamese crocodiles were widespread across the mainland of southeast Asia and possibly in some areas of Malaysia. These animals live in a wide variety of freshwater habitats, including slow-moving rivers and streams, lakes, seasonal oxbow lakes, marshes, swamplands, and occasionally swift-flowing upland streams. Unfortunately, wild populations are rapidly decreasing due to habitat loss, illegal hunting/ trade, and incidental capture/ drowning in fishing traps. This leaves extremely low and fragmented populations remaining.

These remnant populations consist of small numbers of scattered individuals, with very few of those groups confirmed to be reproductively active. The national wild population is estimated to consist of fewer than 150 adults. Illegal capture of wild crocodiles, egg collection, and intensive hunting, mainly for skin harvest and supply of live crocodiles for farms, has caused the wild population to majorly decline. In many of the river systems, hydroelectric power has been approved or proposed, which is likely to cause the loss of approximately half of the remaining breeding groups within the next 10 years.

Despite these serious challenges, there are practical steps we can take to support recovery efforts. One step is to protect and restore the natural habitat of these animals. This includes restoring degraded habitats, preserving the freshwater sites, and preventing deforestation. Strengthening anti-poaching efforts is also essential in protecting the remaining wild populations. Preventing hybridization and supporting zoological breeding programs, with reintroduction as a goal, is a practical conservation effort that can help improve the future of this species. One of the final things we can do is work with the local communities and provide opportunities that would allow them to benefit from protecting wildlife, including but not limited to offering education about the crocodiles’ ecological role, developing livelihoods that reduce pressure on the wetlands, and providing jobs in ecotourism and habitat restoration.

By supporting these conservation efforts and organizations like Zoo Atlanta, we can all help ensure that the Siamese crocodile continues to play its important role in the world’s biodiversity rather than disappearing from the wild altogether.

(photo: Molly K.)

Molly K.
Herpetology Team