Crocs face death as Enriquillo lake swells into villages

BARAHONA, Dominican Republic. – An undetermined number of crocodiles have been killed in a zone Enriquillo lake, whose unexplained expansion, instead of providing them more territory, has ironically exposed them to the even further danger posed by humans.

The environmentalist Jose Antonio Matos said the lake’s swelling has now taken the crocs and other animals closer to human populations, where they are hunted. “The crocodiles and other species are under a serious threat, because upon reaching the surrounding populated areas are being attacked man.”

Interviewed by phone on Palma FM, Matos also denounced the use of toxic chemicals by fishermen, which poison many species. “There are people who hurl poisons to fish and then sell them.”

He asked the authorities to provide a constant vigilance in the zone especially at Cuero de Vaca, to protect the crocodiles and deal with the lake’s situation that he called “alarming.”