Malang the croc must regain strength before return to swamp, says mayor

LARGEST FRESHWATER CROC “Malang,” a Philippine freshwater crocodile caught by fishermen in M’lang,North Cotabato province, is believed the largest of its kind in captivity. FILE PHOTO

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—The local government of Mlang in North Cotabato has no intention of keeping “Malang,” a 2.8 meter Philippine freshwater crocodile, as a tourist attraction.

Mayor Joselito Piñol of Mlang said Thursday that “Malang,” captured by fishermen in Barangay Dungguan on April 12, will be sent back to the wild when its health normalizes.

“Once the crocodile’s condition improves, it will be released back to the marshland,” Piñol said in a radio interview.

The crocodile, believed to be the largest of its kind ever captured, has been weak since the fishermen captured it and tied to a tree near the marsh for several days.

After several negotiations with the group of fishermen, who earlier demanded payment of P40,000 for capturing the reptile, it was turned over to the local government “for custody and health recovery.”

“It appears the crocodile was deeply stressed so it was weak when the LGU took custody,” Piñol said. “We have no intention of keeping it for we know pretty well it is endangered and must be sent back to the wild.”

Earlier, Biodiversity Management Bureau director Theresa Mundita Lim said her agency, following consultation with scientific experts, would advise local officials to free the reptile back to the Liguasan marshland.

Piñol’s office had been working closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for a series of tests on the crocodile.

Lim said her office was conducting “community awareness campaigns” to make local residents understand the importance of saving endemic species like Malang.

“We need to make sure that the communities and LGU are aware of the benefits of the release, so they become true partners in protecting the species in its natural habitat,” Lim said.

Local DENR officials said several big crocodiles could be living in the 220,000-hectare marshland that straddles the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.

Malang is believed to be the largest Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) ever caught. The critically endangered species can grow to a maximum of 3.05 meters, according to wildlife journals.

Two crocodilian species exist in the Philippines, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, which is endemic to the country, and the Indo-Pacific crocodile, or Crocodylus porosus, which is widely distributed throughout the tropical areas of Asia and the Pacific regions.

The Philippine crocodile is a relatively small species compared to its Indo-Pacific cousin, which can grow up to several meters long.

The 6.09-meter “Lolong,” the world’s largest captive crocodile found in the Agusan Marsh which died of pneumonia and cardiac arrest in February last year, was an Indo-Pacific crocodile.

“We have no plans of making money out of Malang by making it a tourist attraction like ‘Lolong’,” Piñol said.

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