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Conservation of endangered species, particularly large predators, is an issue of the utmost importance in an era in which extinctions are occurring at an alarming rate. The Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) is not only one such large predator, but is also endemic to its home–the Orinoco River basin of Venezuela and Colombia (Hernández et. al., 2021). This habitat restriction puts it at an even more vulnerable position for extinction. The threat to the existence of the Orinoco crocodile can be linked to their high market value. Because they are so valuable, the species has been over-hunted, particularly in the 1900s. In fact, their population in the wild is as low as just a few hundred. (Ramo et. al., 1991). The issue with such a small population is that, even if it is to regrow, the likelihood of inbreeding increases, which can cause harmful genetic drift in the population (Hernández et. al., 2021). The Orinoco crocodile is not set on a completely unavoidable path for extinction, however. There are ways to combat their decrease in population. One such way to boost the wild population of Orinoco crocodiles is to breed and raise them in captivity with the intention of releasing them into the wild. Such reintroduction programs have been being utilized lately to not only increase the number of individuals in the wild, but also to raise a reserve population of Orinoco crocodiles if they go entirely extinct in the wild (Carmichael, pers. Comm., 2022). It is possible to view reintroduction programs skeptically, and to assume that introducing captive-bred species into the wild is not likely to succeed. However, reintroduction programs of Orinoco crocodiles have proven to be successful in hatching a greater number of eggs than would be possible in the wild, to produce offspring that are able to survive in the wild, and to be most successful when they involve local efforts. 

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