The government says it has implemented several measures to protect wildlife at the Greater Portmore Sewage Ponds in St. Catherine.

This follows last week’s discovery of 10 dead crocodiles in the dried-out ponds.

In a statement on Friday, the National Water Commission (NWC) said all crocodiles were safely removed from the ponds when they were being emptied to facilitate remedial works.

It noted, however, that it appeared the animals gained access to the dry ponds sometime after and were unable to leave.

The NWC explained that the incident occurred despite ongoing joint monitoring efforts.

During a tour of the ponds yesterday, Environment Minister Matthew Samuda said measures to prevent a recurrence include the installation of additional structures to allow crocodiles to move between ponds when there is a significant reduction in the water levels.

He added that a comprehensive maintenance plan for all ponds, especially for those in Greater Portmore, will be revealed to the public soon.

Meanwhile, the Minister said the results of the ongoing probe into the deaths of the 10 crocodiles will be made public.