Crocodile management in Ethiopia : review with recommendations

The IUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group conducted a review mission to Ethiopia from 26 April – 08 May 2014 to examine Ethiopia’s Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) conservation and management program and the status, and likely sustainability, of ranching and trophy hunting initiatives. The review involved considerable input about operations, and the legal and policy frameworks supporting those operations, from the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Regional State (SNNPRS), and the Arba Minch Crocodile Ranch (AMCR). We visited the AMCR and conducted three day and night crocodile surveys of the Lake Chamo crocodile population. The Ethiopian authorities requested the CSG to make recommendations as appropriate, which we present herein.