PHNOM PENH, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 43 eggs of the critically endangered Siamese crocodiles have been discovered in two areas of the Cardamom Mountains National Park in Cambodia, a conservationist group said in a news release on Wednesday.

The Fauna & Flora-Cambodia program, in collaboration with the forestry administration of Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the Ministry of Environment, and community wardens, discovered three additional wild nests with a total of 43 eggs of Siamese crocodiles within the national park in mid-June.

"Out of the 43 eggs, 34 were fertilized and are now being closely monitored and protected by our expert team and the local community until they hatch out," the news release said. "The eggs are expected to hatch out sometime in August."

This exciting finding this year followed the previous discovery of 65 eggs in 2024 with 60 hatchlings released successfully into the wild, it added.

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered.

Discoveries in the two consecutive years strongly demonstrate the success of conservation efforts, the news release said, adding that they also underscore the importance of the Cardamom Mountains as a vital habitat for wild crocodiles, offering significant hope for the species' recovery.■