CROCODILIANS RANCHING PROGRAM IN ARGENTINA: TWENTY YEARS OF SUCCESS

ALEJANDRO LARRIERA, PABLO SIROSKI, ALBA IMHOF

m

Congreso; XX Working Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG/SSC/UICN); 2010

Crocodile Specialist Group

The experimental ranching program began in Argentina in 1990 with the aim of monitoring and recovering the Caiman latirostris population in Santa Fe Province. The work was later extended to Chaco, Formosa and Corrientes Provinces, and the Caiman yacare populations were also added to the sustainable use project. Now, twenty years later, over 35.000 yearlings were released into the wild on their natural habitat, and the reproduction of many currently adult released females was recorded in the last 10 years. More than 100.000 caymans are reared in the different ranching operations all over the country for releasing and commercial purposes, and over 800 people are now working on the different stages of the program as eggs harvesters, rearing operations workers, processors, manufacturers and retailers. The numerous benefits obtained from the application of ranching programs in crocodilians have been described many times. The mainstays of these programs are their economic, social and environmental contributions. The most tangible results are evidenced in the progressive increase in the number of nests identified as consequence of more local residents involved in the program on one hand, and the confirmed recovery of the Caymans populations during the last 20 years on the other.