Sixty years after its disappearance from the territory, 16 crocodiles were reintroduced to the Crocoparc of Agadir (Western Coast of Morocco) on Wednesday coming from the Aquatis aquarium in Lausanne, Switzerland’s news agency Keystone-SDA said.
The sacred crocodile, of which there are only between 3,500 and 5,000 in the world, is a species in serious danger of extinction.
These animals are “good-natured” and “less aggressive” than their Nile cousins, according to Aquatis director, Michel Ansermet.
A premier in Africa, the reintroduction of sacred crocodiles to Morocco will take place in two stages.
Firstly, the 16 specimens concerned, which measure between 42 centimeters and 1.06 meters for the largest, will move into a specially equipped tank at the Agadir CrocoParc.
“The two teenagers and fourteen pre-teens will complete their growth in this area, until they reach 1.30 or 1.40 meters. They’ll have to adapt to the country’s temperatures and learn to cope,” Ansermet pointed out.
Then, in May 2025, a few animals will be maintained at CrocoParc “to form a breeding nucleus for the species,” while the rest will be released into the wild, specifically “in the south of Morocco in gueltas, i.e. water holes in the Sahara,” he added.
“Morocco has already declared itself willing to take on the next clutch,” Ansermet said, adding that Aquatis is also in talks with Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
These two countries are interested in returning these reptiles to their territories, as well as in “genetic exchanges”.