ORINOCO CROCODILE
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These reptiles have lived on Earth for over 240 million years. In the early 1900s, there were over 3 million; now, fewer than 150 remain in the wild.
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The Orinoco crocodile is among the largest living reptiles in the world, growing up to 20 feet long and living up to 70 years.
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Temperature determines the sex of the hatchlings, with warmer temperatures producing more males. After hatching, the mother often helps the young reach the water, where she then guards them.
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Due to the quality of their belly skin and their large size, uncontrolled hunting between 1930 and 1950 was conducted by poachers who made large profits by killing Orinoco crocodiles and selling the hides for leather used to make women's shoes and purses.
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Venezuela’s current economic crisis has further worsened the situation, as vulnerable people collect their meat and eggs for food.
Three Movements of Prayer
Reflect
Linger awhile to cast your loving gaze and curious mind on the photos above or below of our more-than-human kinfolk.
Allow yourself to become aware of and experience your mutual connectedness in the unfolding mystery of life.
Express gratitude for this other being’s existence and their vital place in Earth’s balanced biosphere.
Lament
Consider the specific challenges and threats this creature now faces. Allow yourself to feel your feelings.
Feel what some call "the great sadness." Open to the grief this creature faces, and imagine a time when this, your kinfolk, is extinct. Lament their absence and acknowledge any contribution you may have knowingly or unknowingly made.
Risk becoming emotionally engaged as you now send your prayers and your compassionate protection to the individuals and communities of this fellow-creature.
Respond
Hold up your fellow humans and the organizations that are serving these dear and vulnerable populations.
Name any further responses or actions that may be surfacing from this time of contemplation and prayer.
As you finish, take a final look at one of the photos of this dear one for whom you’ve prayed. Carry the image in your heart as you return to our shared life in our shared home.
This reflection makes my heart heavy as I lament this giant's plight. I mourn the dwindling numbers of these ancient reptiles, the destruction of their habitats, and the silence of their calls in the wild, echoing the sorrow of an ecosystem in distress.
I acknowledge my role and the choices I've made that have led to their endangerment, for the pollution and encroachment that have marred their homes. I confess my complicity in the degradation of the natural world; too often, I have prioritized progress over preservation.
Gracious Creator, may Your compassion flow over the Orinoco crocodile, that they may find refuge in the waters that once sustained them.
That the rivers and wetlands may be healed and restored, allowing life to flourish once more. That the conservationists and advocates who tirelessly fight for their survival—grant them strength and resolve. That the communities that rely on these ecosystems may recognize the value of coexisting with nature rather than exploiting it.
May I learn to live in harmony with the world around me, honoring the intricate web of life that You have woven.
Amen