A crocodile conservation center in the Philippines operating with Japanese aid has helped to stave off extinction for one species and is successfully farming another for its meat and skin.

The critically endangered freshwater Mindoro crocodile, Crocodylus mindorensis, might have become extinct without the center's efforts, said Veronica de Guzman, who is director of the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center.

The center is also now farming the saltwater Indo-Pacific crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, for commercial purposes. That species is similarly under threat but is considered to be at lower risk, as it can be found in habitats ranging from India to Australia.