Just a short, informal, interview shot and edited in one day in which Luis Sigler, veterinarian and crocodilian expert, talks about the need to protect one of the rarest species of crocodilians in the world.

Native to the Llanos area of Venezuela, Orinoco crocodiles (Crocodylus intermedius) were hunted excessively during the 1930s and though they now receive full protection in their native range, they are still facing possible extinction due to habitat destruction, pollution and climate change (crocodilians, like seaturtles and other reptiles, depend on minute variations in temperature during incubation to determine the sex of the progeny, which is vital for maintaining a healthy population of females).

The Dallas World Aquarium was the first institution to reproduce this species outside of Venezuela-- it now houses 5-10% of the world's total population.

I had the privilege to work with this species during the four years that yielded the first successful reproduction, and seeing the continued success of the project has given me hope for the future of these magnificent creatures.