Two spectacled caimans rescued from home in Lithuania get place in ZooParc

Two spectacled caimans rescued from a home in Lithuaniaget a new home at ZooParc Overloon. A spot has been reserved for the animals in the new South America Madidi area, which opens to the public on Wednesday, July 7.

The two animals were discovered earlier this year in a home in Lithuania, where they were living in poor conditions. They were able to be rescued and found a temporary refuge at Nature Aid Center Opglabbeek in Belgium.

A better placeA new home for the two spectacled caimans was sought there, and the animals need not travel far. "They are very welcome with us," says head of animal care Steven van den Heuvel. "After what they went through in Lithuania, they deserve the best possible place. And we can provide that."

Van den Heuvel continues: "In our brand new area Madidi, we have the best facilities to give these spectacled caimans a wonderful life. In addition, we have people walking around here with an awful lot of knowledge, so we can take care of them in the best possible way. We are therefore greatly looking forward to their arrival."

North of South AmericaThe spectacled caiman gets its name from the raised ridge between its eyes, which makes it look like they are wearing glasses. This crocodile species is found in northern South America, where it lives in surface waters. In dry times, these animals take shelter in the mud.

The caiman also plays a major ecological role in certain areas. In places where the population of the spectacled caiman decreased, the numbers of certain fish species also decreased. This was because the number of predatory fish controlled by the spectacled caiman increased.