Fighting For The Cuban Crocodile

In Cuba's Zapata Swamp, Crocodylus rhombifer, the endemic Cuban crocodile, is critically endangered. Poached to near-extinction, it is now threatened by the invasion of the American crocodile. Only a few thousand Cuban crocodiles remain in Cuban waters, 90% of the species having disappeared in less than a century.

For more than fifty years, the Cuban government has been making efforts to stem this trend. To save this iconic animal, it started monitoring the crocodile population in national parks, set up crocodile farms, and implemented translocation programs for wild animals. The “Crocodileros” — reformed, former poachers — risk their lives daily in the swamp. But will this be enough to save the species from its American neighbour?

Meet the people struggling to restore these reptiles to their former glory and discover an animal that has become the symbol of an island that will do anything to preserve its identity, freedom and unique character.