“American crocodiles typically live in the mangrove estuaries in and around the Everglades—a good 200 miles from Banana River. Although the historic range of American crocodiles reaches up Florida’s coasts as far as the Canaveral National Seashore, northeast of Orlando, massive habitat loss had virtually eliminated the species from the north.

But over the past few years, verified sightings of American crocodiles north of the Everglades have climbed, and experts believe the reptiles may be reclaiming at least some of their homeland. Though no one knows how many crocodiles live in northern Florida, the increase in sightings suggest the animals will begin breeding soon, experts say…

Like their smaller alligator cousins, the American crocodile was declared endangered in the 1970s by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Thanks to mangrove forest conservation, their numbers have risen dramatically from an estimated all-time low of around 150 to around 2,000 individuals in the state of Florida. While the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the American crocodile as vulnerable overall, the FWS downlisted the species—in Florida only—to threatened in 2007.”

From National Geographic.