Thel & Terence 110924

Big Catch from Agusan Marsh 20110903

The above saltwater crocodile, believed to be the biggest ever captured in the Philippines was ensnared by villagers and veteran hunters after a three-week hunt in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, where terrified townsfolk have reported at least one deadly attack by the big reptiles.

This 20-foot crocodile that weighs 1,075 kilograms or 1.075 tons, which is estimated to be at least 50 years old, is the biggest ever known to be caught alive in the Philippines in recent years. Compared to the largest saltwater crocodile caught alive as listed by Guinness World Record, captured in Australia which measured 17 feet and 11 inches, the Bunawan saltwater crocodile apparently dwarfed the Australian crocodile. It is said that crocodiles can live for more than 100 years and grow to 23 feet.

Bunawan Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said he plans to make the captured crocodile as their biggest star in an ecotourism park which the local government proposed to build to increase awareness of villagers and potential tourists of the vital role the dreaded reptiles play in the ecosystem.

A wildlife official said that the most endangered freshwater variety in the world, the crocodylus mindorensis, is found only in the Philippines where only about 250 are known to be in the wild and about 1,000 of the larger saltwater type, or crocodylus porosus, like the one captured in Bunawan, are scattered mostly in the country’s southern swamplands.

Our laws strictly prohibit civilians from killing endangered crocodiles, with violators facing up to 12 years in prison and a fine of P1 million.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje said the enormous crocodile was captured because it was a threat to the community but added that the reptiles are a reminder that the country’s remaining rich habitats need to be constantly protected.

Reptiles have been hunted in the country by poachers hoping to cash in on the high demand in wealthy countries for their skin, which is coveted for vanity products ranging from bags to cellphone cases.

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