Lago Enriquillo, Dominican Republic

Lago Enriquillo, located in the arid southwest of the Dominican Republic, is a truly unique place. This large hypersaline lake is the remnant of an ancient marine channel and is surrounded by hundreds of freshwater springs. Its changing shoreline includes beaches, wetlands, submerged forests, and Isla Cabritos; habitats that support an incredible diversity of wildlife. Most importantly for us, Lago Enriquillo is currently the only area in the Dominican Republic known to support a resident wild population of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus).

American crocodiles have a long history in the Dominican Republic, but their future here is uncertain. During the 1970s and 1980s, Lago Enriquillo was estimated to support 300–600 adult crocodiles. By 1992, that estimate had fallen to approximately 160 adults and subadults. A conservation program, including a head-start initiative, was implemented in the early 1990s and appeared to help the population, but the program eventually ended because of limited funding. More recent research indicates that the population remains at serious risk from habitat changes, illegal hunting and collection, fishing pressures, and climatic stressors.

In 2021, members of what is now our collaborative team conducted the first comprehensive assessment of American crocodiles in the Dominican Republic in decades. Surveys confirmed that Lago Enriquillo remains the stronghold for the species in the country and provided the scientific foundation needed to renew long-term conservation efforts. The work combines nighttime population surveys, crocodile capture and marking, nest monitoring, habitat assessments, and life-history research so that conservation decisions can be guided by data.

In 2024, the Dominican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and its collaborators, including the Crocodile Research Coalition, launched a new head-start program at Lago Enriquillo. Twenty-five newly hatched crocodiles from three nesting areas were brought into managed care, individually marked, measured, and monitored for growth and health. At the same time, 93 hatchlings from the same cohort were marked and released directly into the wild, giving researchers an opportunity to compare the growth and survival of wild and head-started crocodiles.

Head-starting gives young crocodiles a chance to grow through one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives before being released back into Lago Enriquillo. But raising crocodiles is only one piece of the puzzle! Our research is also examining population trends, nesting and breeding ecology, habitat and home-range selection, diet, health, growth, and the survival and movements of crocodiles after release. Ultimately, we want to understand not only if head-starting works, but how it can be used most effectively as part of the long-term recovery of this population.

And there are encouraging signs. During a September 2024 survey, the monitoring team observed 50 crocodiles along a 1.21 km section of shoreline and captured 17 juveniles. Six were animals that had previously been marked as hatchlings, allowing the team to document their growth over time. These recaptures demonstrate just how valuable long-term marking and monitoring can be for understanding the population.

The work continued into the 2026 nesting season, when the team documented 38 nests across six nesting beaches. Camera traps are also helping researchers learn more about nesting and maternal behavior, including documenting a female excavating a nest and apparently carrying hatchlings to the water. Fifteen additional hatchlings were transferred to the National Zoological Park of Santo Domingo in May 2026 as part of the continuing head-start initiative. They will remain under managed care until they reach approximately 60–70 cm in total length, when they are expected to have a greater chance of survival after release.

However, protecting crocodiles means protecting more than nests and hatchlings. Recent confiscations of previously marked crocodiles hundreds of kilometers from Lago Enriquillo indicate that animals are still being illegally removed from the wild. These cases reinforce the need for continued surveillance, law enforcement, monitoring, and public education alongside biological research and population management.

Most importantly, this is a collaborative Dominican conservation effort. CRC works alongside the Dominican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Lago Enriquillo crocodile monitoring team, the National Zoological Park and National Museum of Natural History of Santo Domingo, universities, NGOs (including SOH Conservacíon, Grupo Jaragua, Sur Futuro, Ecotopia, and more), local partners, and other crocodile specialists. Community engagement is a central part of the project as we work to rebuild awareness, pride, and stewardship for crocodiles and the habitats they share with people and other wildlife. Educational activities such as World Crocodile Day give families and children opportunities to meet the conservation team, learn about American crocodiles, and even see hatchlings from the head-start program firsthand.

Our goal is to help ensure that American crocodiles remain part of the Dominican Republic's natural heritage for generations to come and to develop knowledge that can help crocodile conservation efforts elsewhere in the Caribbean and around the world.

Would you like to sink your teeth into conservation and help protect the crocodiles of Lago Enriquillo?

There are several ways you can contribute:

• Support our research and monitoring. Field surveys, equipment, animal tracking, and long-term monitoring are essential to understanding whether the population is recovering.
• Support the head-start program. Help us provide care, monitoring, and research for young crocodiles as they grow toward release back into Lago Enriquillo.
• Support education and community outreach. Building local awareness and pride is essential to the long-term survival of crocodiles in the Dominican Republic.
• Get involved. Opportunities associated with research, conservation training, and outreach can provide hands-on experience with the conservation of one of the Caribbean's most remarkable crocodile populations. Check out our WREC page for more information!

Together, we can help give the American crocodiles of Lago Enriquillo a fighting chance.