World’s largest croc’s next ‘home’ is US$120,000 museum

Davao - ‘Lolong,’ holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest captive saltwater crocodile that died last February 10, will get his second ‘home’ in a museum presently constructed by the town that hosted him when he was still alive.

The museum, which costs the municipality of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur some P5 million (US$120,000), was originally intended as a reception and display center before Lolong died, but will now be converted into a museum for the crocodile’s remains. Letty Tan, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Caraga region, said the death of ‘Lolong’ will not affect tourism in the region and the town, rationalizing that the main attraction of Bunawan is actually the sprawling Agusan Marsh, the giant’s original residence. But residents of Bunawan find this claim odd, saying the death has already affected the lives of people, mostly from poor families, who used to sell food and wares near Lolong’s pond but have moved elsewhere to look for new opportunities. As a tribute to Lolong’s contribution for placing Bunawan on the world map, the remains of the reptile were temporarily buried at an eco-park. Workers wrapped Lolong’s body in a fish net and placed the remains in a one-meter-deep grave, which will be exhumed later so its bones can be reassembled and its hide stuffed for display in the museum At present, the local government officials are looking for an expert taxidermist that can create a life-size replica of the famous reptile. According to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje, Lolong’s death, based on initial results of the necropsy, was caused by pneumonia and cardiac arrest, with stress probably contributing to its early demise. In its preliminary findings, the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, a subsidiary of DENR, said the saltwater crocodile could have developed complications after it was brought to an enclosed area as opposed to its former domicile, a marsh linked to the sea. Paje said the complete result of the necropsy will take around two weeks, and this will be released by the University of the Philippines-Los Baños College of Veterinary Medicine (UPLB-CVM). “The necropsy is just the initial step in determining the cause of Lolong’s death. There are still several studies to be done, and the results could be out in as early as two weeks, but may take longer,” he said. The tissue samples, it was learned, were provided by a team of veterinarians and other experts sent by the DENR to the eco-tourism park in Bunawan, which served as its home since its capture in 2011. For her part, PAWB Director Theresa Mundita Lim said the tissue samples from the reptile’s vital organs were examined for histopathological evaluation. The seven-man team, led by a PAWB veterinarian, was also composed of veterinarians and biological experts from the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (formerly the Crocodile Farm Institute), the UPLB-CVM, the Marine Wild Fauna Watch, and the National Museum of the Philippines. “The study,” she said, “will determine any illnesses Lolong may have had that may or may not have led to his death, and how long he may have had them. It is a long, painstaking process,” adding the “team did not find any foreign objects in his stomach, save for a few small pebbles which are usually present among crocodiles that feed in the wild.” According to Dr. Adam Britton, a world authority on crocodiles, Lolong, which he measured in the pond on Nov. 10, 2011 at the request of National Geographic and with the consent of local officials, had a total length of 6.17 meters, which is 20 feet 3 inches (20.25 feet). “As a pure-bred saltwater crocodile,” he wrote, “this certainly makes him the largest living crocodile in captivity.” His measurement was later recognized, thus making the saltwater crocodile the new holder of the official Guinness World Record for the largest crocodile in captivity, eclipsing in size and weight the Cassius of Australia.