The Philippine Online Chronicles

On Thursday, the Time magazine website featured “Lolong,” the 21-foot seawater crocodile caught in Agusan del Sur, as among their list of “Top 10 Real Life Monsters.”

Possibly a new Guinness Book record holder for being the largest crocodile caught alive, “Lolong” was caught in Lake Mihaba, Agusan del Sur, days after his namesake and hunter Ernesto “Lolong” Conate succumbed to stroke from exhaustion and lack of sleep because of the two month-long hunt.

Time wrote, “It's the kind of beast Steven Spielberg might feature in a movie. Villagers in Bunawan township in the Philippines celebrated what they hope is the end of a reign of terror when they captured a 21 feet long, 2,370 pound crocodile. It took nearly 100 people to haul the monster from a creek, then a crane to lift it into a truck.”
Time cited reports of a missing fisherman and a water buffalo eaten by a crocodile weeks before the catch. Two years ago in the same area, a child was reportedly eaten by a crocodile that was never caught.

“Lolong” joins the ranks of a 45-foot long giant squid, a 50-foot long Burmese python and a foot-long Giant tarantula. It is said to overtake the previous Guinness Book of World Records holder, a 17-foot long crocodile caught in Australia.

Another terror to look out for

However, the international magazine cautioned that the people of Agusan shouldn’t probably celebrate too quickly, citing hundreds of crocodiles still out in the wild and Spielberg’s classic film Jaws “in which the residents of a town terrorized by a great white shark rejoice when one of the creatures is killed, only to learn a harsh lesson later — -the real culprit was still out in the water.”

“We hope the real life story has a better ending,” they wrote.

The people of Bunawan said a bigger crocodile was sighted earlier and is still on the loose. Crocodile experts and conservationists said this might be Lolong’s female mate.

This has prevented villagers from going out to fish, choosing in the meantime to earn a living making nipa hut weavings. Hunters will start looking for the other crocodile and are setting stronger traps to catch it alive.

The local government of Bunawan had asked the residents to relocated because of the imminent danger posed by crocodiles but residents say they are already used to it. According to the government, most of the 10,000 residents are fisherfolk. Local officials say residents are warned to stay away from the marsh in the afternoon until early morning.

New home at the zoo

The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said they are dismayed that “Lolong is being made into a tourist attraction. PETA said instead of putting him in a zoo, the giant crocodile should be kept in an area with very few people.

"Animals in zoos exhibit a condition called zoochosis, where they will be frequently banging their heads, pace around and repeatedly (show other abnormal animal behavior),” said the group.

Reports have already come out that the giant crocodile had not eaten for six days since its capture. It is being observed for signs of stress but wildlife officials say large crocodiles can go without food for up to six months.