Healing community relationships with crocodiles

In Placencia Lagoon, Marisa Tellez envisions wildlife conservation with people at the center

A woman holds a pole in front of a crocodile

On a stretch of grassland on the western side of Placencia Lagoon, Marisa Tellez visits a Morelet’s crocodile, lovingly named Savannah. Savannah is one of five “Crocodile Ambassadors” under the care of the Crocodile Research Coalition (CRC) that are unable to live in the wild due to injuries and overfamiliarity to humans.

Tellez tosses a chunk of fresh chicken to Savannah who snaps it up before following Tellez around the enclosure. “As you can tell, she always wants to be the star of the show,” she says.

Though it’s illegal to keep crocodiles as pets in Belize, Savannah was held captive for years before being rescued by the Forest Department in 2023. As a result of poor nutrition, Savannah suffers from underdeveloped teeth and stunted growth—unable to survive without the help of CRC.

Tellez has devoted her life to this species, first as a biologist and now as the Executive Director of the Crocodile Research Coalition, a nonprofit she founded in 2016 to support the conservation of crocodiles and their habitats. Crocodiles keep aquatic ecosystems in balance as apex predators, but they also hold a cultural significance in Central America.

Red mangroves in Belize's Placencia Lagoon.

Rescued crocodile Savannah, a small, toothless Moreletti Crocodile.

“The first inhabitants of Belize, the Maya, revered crocodiles, as it was the first symbol in the Mayan calendar,” she says. According to Tellez, early European colonists spread negative perceptions about predatory animals: “It’s easier to exploit a resource if it is deemed dangerous or unworthy, and it removes local people from management decisions of these animals.” Many of the fears Belizeans have towards crocodiles stem from these colonial attitudes, and more recently, the villainization of crocodiles in pop culture.

Morelet’s and American crocodiles have inhabited the waters of Belize for millions of years, though less than 5000 remain today, due to poaching, habitat loss, and water pollution. Tellez and her team have a deep respect for these animals and are working with Placencia residents to restore the cultural relationship with this ancient species through community-based conservation.

Morelet’s crocodiles are the smaller of the two crocodile species found in Belize. They inhabit freshwater ecosystems. American crocodiles are larger, and rather timid. They live in mangrove ecosystems along the coast, as well as on small islands and in lagoons. Human development within wetlands poses one of the greatest threats to their survival. Healthy ecosystems mean healthy crocodiles!

No conservation without communities

For Tellez, conservation is not only about wildlife, it’s about people. When Tellez is not tending to crocodiles like Savannah, she and CRC staff are conducting community outreach and building relationships that enable the success of their conservation programs.

One of the CRC’s standout programs is their community science program, which collects data on the behavior and activity of crocodiles and wildlife around Placencia Lagoon. Residents can submit their observations through an online database, which the organization uses to identify patterns and geographical hotspots for long-term management plans. The ultimate goal of this participatory approach is to further a sense of stewardship among residents so they learn how to live alongside crocodiles, not fear them.

The eyes and snout of a crocodile poke out of cloudy water

A close-up of Savannah, the small, toothless Moreletti Crocodile. 

“Communities have coexisted with these reptiles for [millennia],” says Tellez. “Conserving crocodiles and other wildlife allows us to preserve a piece of who we are.”

The CRC is also known for its regular “Croc Talk” visits to schools and summer camps across Belize. In these sessions, community members learn about crocodile diets and behaviors, and long-lost cultural ties to crocodiles. Participants leave with a better understanding of how to become a better champion for wildlife.

Healthy ecosystems, healthy crocodiles

Because crocodiles require specific habitat conditions to thrive, like adequate prey populations and clean freshwater swamps, their abundance indicates a healthy ecosystem, and their decline, according to Tellez, reflects broader environmental changes around Placencia.

“Right now, the biggest ecological threat around Placencia Lagoon is the loss of mangroves,” she says. “Losing mangroves means losing other wildlife and affects the water quality and ultimately our communities.”

Starting in the 1980s, native mangrove forests were threatened or destroyed by the construction of hotels, resorts, and residential enclaves. Though mangroves are legally protected in Belize, illegal clear-cutting still occurs. The mangroves in Placencia Lagoon are particularly vulnerable to clearing—both permitted and illegal—as the Lagoon becomes a burgeoning tourist destination on the coast.

   

Mangroves were clear-cut to make way for illegal development. This harms the ecosystem, exacerbates the climate crisis, and increases flood risk.

In 2020, the CRC joined the Belize Mangrove Alliance, a chapter of the Global Mangrove Alliance, a network dedicated to increasing the global area of mangrove habitat. Recognizing the importance of mangroves for water quality and coastal resilience, the Belize Mangrove Alliance, with support from WWF Belize, is working to safeguard the remaining 58,000 hectares of mangrove cover from future threats. In partnership with the Alliance, CRC initiated a campaign encouraging every Placencia business owner to plant one mangrove seed on their property. “Our main goal in the mangrove campaign was to build a sense of pride in mangroves, which means getting people to see their entire beauty: as habitat for wildlife and as a cultural symbol in Belize,” says Tellez.

This campaign led to 300 seeds planted around Placencia—just one of the many ways the CRC aligns conservation efforts with local community needs, values, and livelihoods. Tellez attributes the success of the organization to its dedicated staff and team of local volunteers who show up again and again to support their programs.

Working with other local environmental organizations, the CRC has a powerful vision for the future of Placencia Lagoon. “Our community can be a model for the world,” says Tellez. “We can show the benefits of sustainable development for the health of people and wildlife,” says Tellez.

A close-up of rescued crocodile Savannah at Crocodile Encounter, a program created by the Crocodile Research Coalition.

Mangroves at sunrise in Placencia Lagoon.