Fighting to save Venezuela's Orinoco Crocodile

Venezuela's Orinoco Crocodile is a fearsome beast, but its enormous size and sharp teeth were no match for humans who hunted them to the brink of extinction. Known to scientists as Crocodylus intermedius, the enormous reptile is native to the Orinoco basin that Venezuela shares with Colombia. More than 2.5 million Orinoco Crocodile skins were exported from Venezuela from 1931 to 1934, according to official Venezuelan figures. The Orinoco Crocodile is critically endangered, and conservationists nurture them for 90 days after they hatch before releasing them into the wild. More than 2.5 million Orinoco Crocodile skins were exported from Venezuela from 1931 to 1934, according to official Venezuelan figures.