Saving Planet Earth S01E04 WS PDTV XviD-GRPLSS

Saving.Planet.Earth.S01E04.WS.PDTV.XviD-GRPLSSrnrnEdith Bowman - Saving Crocodiles rnBBC 1 Wed 27 Jun, 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm 30mins rnrnThe Siamese crocodile has had a mixed history. On the one hand, it plays a rnvital part in the natural ecological balance of the tropical environment in rnCambodia. On the other, the crocodiles\' population was so depleted by the rnfashion industry\'s demand for skins that it was declared extinct in 1992. rnrnIn the third Saving Planet Earth celebrity expedition, Edith Bowman joins rnreptile expert Jenny Daltry, who rediscovered a small remnant of the wild rnpopulation in the Cambodian jungle, to uncover the very human story behind rnthe attitudes of the local people to the crocodile. rnrnShe learns how a combination of community work and hi-tech science, funded rnby Fauna & Flora International, is helping to save the species. rnrnAt a crocodile farm, Edith says: "I never thought that I could feel sympathy rnfor crocodiles. It\'s tragic to see any animal being treated like this. Even rnworse – it\'s a trade purely driven by fashion," she comments. rnrnEdith meets Boyd Simpson, from Fauna & Flora International, working with the rnCambodian wardens trying to locate, radio track and study the crocs. It\'s rnnot easy, as the animals that have survived years of persecution are, by rndefinition, very hard to find. rnrnWhile Boyd takes some DNA, Edith wraps some tape round a crocodile\'s rnsnapping jaw. "This is slightly strange to be straddling a croc," she muses. rnIf it is found to be a pure Siamese croc, it could be the start of a new rnbreeding programme to build the wild population. rnrnHolding a small baby croc in her hand, Edith says: "There are so few of the rnSiamese crocodiles left in the world and they\'re kind of seen as the black rnsheep of the endangered species. They\'re 65 million years old and they\'ve rnsurvived dinosaurs – yet it looks like they may not survive us. You have the rnpower to give them a second chance." rnrnA