Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – The Jalisco government is considering using Puerto Vallarta’s Estero El Salado as a rescue and refuge area for crocodiles found outside their natural habitat.
Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro presented the preliminary proposal, explaining that crocodiles have increasingly been spotted along the coast and in urban areas as construction and infrastructure projects have displaced them from their original ecosystems.
“What we are offering is that the El Salado Estuary can be a rescue zone for those crocodiles,” Lemus said.
Under the proposal, crocodiles removed from populated areas could be relocated to suitable parts of the protected estuary, where they could continue developing in a more natural environment while reducing encounters with people.
The idea is still in its early stages. Lemus emphasized that any program would require technical feasibility studies and strict environmental oversight from Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). Authorities would first need to determine whether El Salado has the biological and operational capacity to serve as a crocodile rescue and conservation area.
Located within Puerto Vallarta’s hotel zone, Estero El Salado already provides an important refuge for wildlife.
The protected area covers approximately 209 hectares, including about 135 hectares of mangroves and wetlands. It is home to more than 100 bird species, at least 29 species of amphibians and reptiles, 10 mammal species, and numerous fish and invertebrates.
Recognized as the only protected urban mangrove in Latin America, El Salado is also an important site for conservation, research and environmental education.
The crocodile proposal comes as encounters with the reptiles have become a growing concern among Puerto Vallarta residents. Lemus said their presence has begun appearing in public opinion polls and studies measuring perceptions of safety.
For now, the proposal represents a possible new approach to managing those encounters while protecting both residents and wildlife. Its implementation will depend on scientific studies and approval from the appropriate environmental authorities.
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