For decades, scientists feared the Siamese crocodile had vanished for good.

Now, newly protected wetlands are offering this rare reptile a second chance. With support from Conservation International and Fauna and Flora , the government of Cambodia announced new protections, which will legally protect key nesting habitat from the increasing pressure of illegal land grabs.

“Securing this habitat is critically important,” said Sovannarith Thol, a biologist at Conservation International-Cambodia. “The area around the protected zone is experiencing runaway deforestation and increasing human encroachment.…