SIGHTED Environment workers and fishers, using a drone, document this saltwater crocodile in Sarangani Bay. —PHOTO COURTESY OF DENR-12
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has cautioned coastal residents along the coast of Sarangani Bay as it confirmed the reported sightings of a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) off a village here and in Malapatan, Sarangani province in the past several days.
Cirilo Lagnason, Jr., area superintendent of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), advised the public to be “vigilant and avoid encounters with the crocodile.”
Lagnason, in a statement on Wednesday, noted that saltwater crocodiles are “known to be aggressive and large enough to perceive humans as prey.”
This is the first documented sighting in years of the saltwater crocodile in the coasts of this city and Sarangani. SBPS previously reported the presence of various whale species and dolphins in parts of the Sarangani Bay.
A report from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro)-Sarangani said the saltwater crocodile was spotted on Wednesday by Bantay Dagat (sea watch) member Roberto Davalos near the waters off Juanico Village Extension in Barangay Lun Padidu, Malapatan.
A joint team from SBPS and Penro-Sarangani confirmed the sightings of the crocodile through drone observation.
Sightings
Based on the drone footage, the crocodile was estimated to be approximately three to four meters in length and “was likely sun basking to regulate its body temperature,” noted Penro-Sarangani ecosystem management specialist Garry John Cabinta.
Forester Shalimar Disomangcop, Penro-Sarangani head, said it could be the same crocodile that was earlier sighted near the mangrove area of Purok (subvillage) Minanga in Barangay Buayan here.
The DENR in Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) or Region 12 reported that a local fisher captured footage of a crocodile near Minanga on Aug. 27 and Sept. 1 while heading home from the city’s fish port complex in Barangay Tambler.
Minanga purok chair Vector Tumulac noted that while there have been various rumors circulating in the community, it was the first time a crocodile sighting has been documented.
Disomangcop said they are still determining whether the area is the reptile’s natural habitat or if it was there for breeding purposes.
What to do
“Identifying the crocodile’s presence is important, given their highly territorial nature and potential threat to human safety,” he said.
Lagnason said they have already reached out to several experts to determine the appropriate actions regarding the crocodile’s presence in the protected seascape.
Citing the Wayman of Animal Diversity Web, DENR-12 said encounters with saltwater crocodiles “are highly dangerous, with a low survival rate if attacked.”
“The breeding season for saltwater crocodiles occurs during the wet season when water levels are highest. Mating typically takes place in September and October, with females laying eggs between November and March,” it added.
DENR Administrative Order 2019-09 or the updated national list of threatened Philippine fauna and their categories, classified the saltwater crocodile as critically endangered.