CONSERVATION:
Very little ecological or survey information is available for this species. Those areas that have been surveyed reveal depleted populations, although the species is not yet considered to be threatened. The largest stronghold exists in Gabon, whereas other areas have shown a population decline - particularly in Angola and Chad. Other areas where the population has never had a real stronghold do not appear to have improved, and the species may well be extirpated in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia. This decline has come mainly from over-hunting, which intensified once populations of C. niloticus became depleted in these areas. Habitat destruction has been accelerating the process. Populations in Congo and Togo are reported to be extremely rare, yet harvest for skins still takes place.
Poorly-enforced protection exists for the remaining populations, although regulated hunting is allowed in some countries. Sustainable use still only involves cropping of wild populations, and so needs further development. Hunting is permitted in several countries, yet little in the way of firm management plans appear to be in place. However, before significant further action can be taken in this area, studies on ecology, population dynamics and status need to be undertaken - sometimes difficult in areas subject to political instability.
MORE INFORMATION:
For more information on distribution and conservation issues for this species,see the CSG Action Plan resource.
SIGNIFICANT REFERENCES:
Pooley, AC (1982). The status of African crocodiles in 1980. In: Crocodiles. Proceedings of the 5th Working Meeting of the IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, Gainesville, Florida. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. pp. 174-228
Waitkuwait, WE (1989). Present knowledge on the West African slender-snouted crocodile, Crocodylus cataphractus Cuvier 1824 and the West African dwarf crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis Cope 1861. In: Crocodiles. Their Ecology, Management and Conservation. A Special Publication of the IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. pp. 259-275