User:MileenaMKX/West African slender-snouted crocodile

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The west african slender-snouted crocodile is a critically endangered species.

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Reason's for their declining populations are through the loss of habitat, hunting, depletion of their prey, and illegal consumption of them through bushmeat markets.

Recent conservation efforts are in effect as project faux gavial works towards lessening the hunting and commerce of the slender-snouted crocodile .There have been implemented protected wildlife preserves in Ghana, one of their main habitats, to help protect the species, through it has been largely ineffective. The conservation of this species is important as it is only one of two species in the genus Mecistops, and both species in this genus are critically endangered.

M. cataphractus are known to prefer habitats that are wetlands and rivers far from nearby human settlements.

One way that is being used to help increase the crocodilian species is through captive breeding, one zoo, the Abidjin zoo, has already begun releasing captive breed individuals when they reach around 3-4 years old.

Different methods used to keep track of population numbers include drone surveillance and prerecorded calls.