Crocodiles from Orinoco arrived at Hacienda Nápoles

The Hacienda Nápoles will welcome some new guests, these are five specimens of crocodiles that were transferred from the Roberto Franco Tropical Biology Station (EBTRF), of the National University of Colombia (UNAL) in Villavicencio, to the resort.

The also known llanero alligators measure more than 4 meters and will now be in the care of the organization of the hacienda, in coordination with the EBTRF. The UNAL said that “an outreach and education program about this critically endangered species will be developed, after an aggressive hunt in the 1960s to sell its skins abroad.”

Similarly, the communication from the educational institution indicated that, according to a study it carried out last year, animals “were not selected as parents, but because of their physical conditions they do show the full dimension of this species, which plays a fundamental role in the food chain of the aquatic ecosystems of the Colombian-Venezuelan Orinoquia”.

He also specified that on December 15, a cooperation agreement was signed between Professor Giovanny Garavito Cárdenas, dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the UNAL, and the park's legal representative.

“This agreement opens an immense window for Colombians and foreign visitors to learn more about this species, to value it and to become aware of the need to preserve it and to regain natural populations in the areas they have historically inhabited.

We want to impress children and other visitors, reach people's hearts so that we give these crocodiles the opportunity to stay on the planet; they have the right to return to the river, but they won't be able to do it if people don't want to,” says Professor Vargas, adding that in these cases education is equal or more important than science”, said Professor Mario Vargas Ramírez, director of Roberto Franco Station.

It should be said that the animals will be in a “pond with the ideal characteristics for the proper maintenance and exhibition” of the male specimens that are still in the custody of the UNAL.

“The crocodiles that are now in the Hacienda Nápoles theme park are added to other specimens that have also been delivered by the UNAL to other parks in the country, such as the Los Ocarros biopark, in Villavicencio (Meta), the water and conservation park Piscilago, in Colsubsidio in Nariño (Cundinamarca), and the agroecological park Merecure, in Puerto López (Meta),” the university specified.

One family decided to adopt a hippo calf and it has caused concern since this animal species is classified as dangerous to people because it is territorial.

In addition to that, there is talk of what is meant for the ecosystem by the fact that these animals are multiplying, branded as invaders and generating greater and greater damage.

Given this, the mayor of the municipality wanted to propose a sanctuary to protect the hippos, given that in the words of the president, mammals attract part of the tourism, but also for the safety of the inhabitants of Puerto Triunfo.

“I would agree with a sanctuary, that the ministry does something, that the National Government do something so that these hippos are not exterminated either, because the truth is that hippos carry a lot of tourism,” said Javier Guerra, mayor of the municipality.

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