American Crocodile Education Sanctuary

Help Take a Bite Out of Extinction!

Belize, Latin America

ACES Helps Rescue a Yucatan Spider Monkey Click Here!

The San Pedro Sun covers the story "Captured croc tortured to death in San Pedro."

Belize's Channel 7 News also shares the horrific news "The cruel killing of a crocodile."

Sneaky was named because after we relocated him from under a DFC home, he grabbed a sneaker on the ground to hold onto, for security we guess. Too cute! He spit it out and swam away. To find him suffering at the hands of brutal torture was heartbreaking.

Here's Sneaky before his senseless demise.

Due to its large file size, "ACES 2012 Annual Report" in PDF is only downloadable via this LINK.

Our appologies for any inconvenience,

Cherie & Vince

Finally the airing date is actually here! I'm trying to find a link to a trailer or a live stream where people in the USA can view it so stay tuned. But here is the link to Discovery Channel's Animal Planet "Willdlife SOS" Episode 10 and 11 this season with Simon Cowell of Wildlife Aide in Belize with ACES! YEAH! If anyone finds a trailer or live stream viewing PLEASE let us know!

We are so excited!

Thank you Wild Productions!

Cherie & Vince

Finally the airing date is actually here! I'm trying to find a link to a trailer or a live stream where people in the USA can view it so stay tuned. But here is the link to Discovery Channel's Animal Planet "Willdlife SOS" Episode 10 and 11 this season with Simon Cowell of Wildlife Aide in Belize with ACES! YEAH! If anyone finds a trailer or live stream viewing PLEASE let us know!

We are so excited!

Thank you Wild Productions!

Cherie & Vince

Finally the airing date is actually here! I'm trying to find a link to a trailer or a live stream where people in the USA can view it so stay tuned. But here is the link to Discovery Channel's Animal Planet "Willdlife SOS" Episode 10 and 11 this season with Simon Cowell of Wildlife Aide in Belize with ACES! YEAH! If anyone finds a trailer or live stream viewing PLEASE let us know!

We are so excited!

Thank you Wild Productions!

Cherie & Vince

Finally the airing date is actually here! I'm trying to find a link to a trailer or a live stream where people in the USA can view it so stay tuned. But here is the link to Discovery Channel's Animal Planet "Willdlife SOS" Episode 10 and 11 this season with Simon Cowell of Wildlife Aide in Belize with ACES! YEAH! If anyone finds a trailer or live stream viewing PLEASE let us know!

We are so excited!

Thank you Wild Productions!

Cherie & Vince

It’s been 3 years since I was last in Belize, but part of me felt like I never left.  Maybe it’s because I am just continuing what I started- investigating how human pollution and disturbances are affecting parasites and disease in the crocodiles of Belize.  Many people ask, “Why do you care about what happens to crocodiles?”  If you REALLY understand about how the environment works, you know that crocodiles are on top of the food chain where they live, they are like the lions of the jungle, the king.  And if something bad happens to them, it will be a negative domino effect on the rest of the environment, even effecting humans.  Anytime there has been mass populations of crocodilians dying, or being killed senselessly, its always come back and bite people in the butt, either through food (because the fish disappear), or through economy (because many communities use crocodilians as a way of ecotourism, many African villages have become VERY successful and economically stable about this).             

So I came back to Ambergris to take science samples of the crocodiles on the island to see how healthy they are. And if you think about it, if they are not healthy, what does that say about the health of the people on the island?  Both crocodiles and people are eating the same food (shrimp, crab, fish) and drinking the same water.  So depending on what my samples say will have a great impact on how the people of Ambergris should react how they are treating their homes, environment, and the crocodiles.  I always found it was interesting that the ancestors of the Mayans, the Olmecs and Toltecs, praised crocodiles, respected them.  Actually, according to them we all were made from a crocodile being in the sky- we all have crocodile blood in us!  And there are various human populations around the world that to this day still love and respect the crocodile- killing one is seen as a bad omen and a disrespect for nature and the community, as they understand the negative effects their livlihood will have if the crocodiles disappear.  So I’m hoping with my research, with the assistance of ACES, can help restore that respect and understanding for the crocodile that our ancestors.  If people thousands of years ago understood the importance of crocodiles, I would think our modern society would as well.  

Story by Marisa Tellez, PhD student at UCLA & Crocodilian Parasitologist

Marisa and Croc Conservationist, Chris Summers

"American crocodile encounter survey in Northern and Sandbore Cayes, Lighthouse Atoll, Belize" by Cherie Chenot-Rose ~ ACES ~ American Crocodile Education Sanctuary, pp. 7-10. Download PDF version.

This project was funded via a grant from The Rufford Small Grants Foundation and private anonymous donors. The property owners and The Belize Forest Department, Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development, Belmopan, Belize, provided permission for the surveys. Aerial surveying and photographs were made possible with the assistance of LightHawk. Binoculars were donated by Optics for the Tropics. Additional co-operation was provided by Thomas Rainwater. Charlie Manolis is thanked for his considerable support and assistance in the preparation of this article. Vince Rose and Chris Summers of ACES/American Crocodile Education Sanctuary contributed invaluable field efforts.

Nothern Caye, Lighthouse Reef, Belize (Photos made possible by LightHawk)

Sandbore Caye, Lighthouse Reef, Belize

Vince & Simon Cowell on Animal Planet's "Wildlife SOS"

Wildlife SOS is a TV show on Animal Planet, based in the UK's Wildlife Aid in Leatherhead, Surrey. The show has been running since 1996 and produced by Simon Cowell's Wild Productions. And can be found on Animal Planet, Channel 5 and DMAX (relative to May 2009). It is run almost completely by volunteers. Whilst Simon (founder of the charity) is often wandering around the British country side, rescuing injured, sick or orphaned wildlife, other volunteers are usually at the hospital treating and raising patients, so they can be ready to be released back into the wild.