Town, DENR play tug-of-war over crocodile

The crocodile caught by accident by a group of fishermen near the Liguasan Marsh in M’lang, North Cotabato. WILLIAMOR A. MAGBANUA/INQUIRER MINDANAO

M’LANG, North Cotabato—A freshwater crocodile that was accidentally trapped near the Liguasan Marsh on Saturday has become the subject of a tug-of-war between the municipality and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

If the local government wants to take care of the eighth-foot reptile, it should provide a shelter for the animal, said Fatima Magulama, DENR chief of protected area and wildlife.

Magulama also told local government to write a letter to the Protected Area Wildlife Coastal Zone Section reiterating its intention to take custody of the crocodile. If the reptile is not injured, it should be returned to its natural habitat, she said.

“If the beast is healthy, then there is no reason for not returning it to the wild,” Mayor Joselito Piñol said. The local government, he added, had placed the animal in the municipal nursery while waiting for the experts from the DENR to check its condition.

The crocodile was trapped in a net set up by fishermen who earlier demanded P40,000 in exchange for it. Piñol said his men did not pay to get hold of the animal.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council team was sent to the place to conduct an information and education campaign to residents.

“I believe there are plenty of crocodiles in the area that is why we want to preserve it,” Piñol said. Williamor A. Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao