DENR to persuade Bunawan mayor on Lolong's transfer

MANILA, Philippines - Environment Secretary Ramon Paje yesterday said that they will exert efforts to convince Bunawan, Agusan del Sur Mayor Edwin Elorde to allow the transfer of giant crocodile “Lolong” to the seven-hectare lagoon inside the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) compound in Quezon City.

Paje said that he will even order PAWB director Mundita Lim to take photos of the park, including a shot of the lagoon, so that Elorde will be able to show to his constituents that the area is fit for Lolong.

“We are all working for the best interest of Lolong. We deem that his transfer will put him in a suitable place – a natural park which is within the city. We also pledge that a substantial portion of revenues to be generated while Lolong is under PAWB care will be forwarded to the Bunawan municipal government,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced that Lolong now becomes the “new ambassador of conservation in the country.”

“Now is the time for the government to promote positive things. We should stop projecting crocodiles as the image of destruction and of something bad. There is also a need to make people aware that we can survive and coexist with these animals,” Paje said in a news conference.

He added, “Crocodiles should not be indiscriminately hunted simply for their meat or their skin. We have crocodile farms that breed them specifically for that purpose. Crocodiles in the wild help maintain the natural web of life between predators and their prey.”

For his part, Elorde said he just can’t make the decision alone and would need to consult the residents about the DENR’s proposal.

He said that apart from the difficulty of parting with the crocodile, Lolong reportedly is doing well in his fenced spot in Bunawan.

“I also have to mention that ecotourism not only in our town but in CARAGA is at its peak now with the capture of Lolong,” Elorde said, adding that since September 2011 when it was captured, their earnings from fees from viewing Lolong rose to P3.6 million.

That is more than 100 percent increase in their tourism earnings.

The municipal government has reportedly been charging Lolong’s visitors P20 for adults and P15 for children.

Paje said that while they respect the position of the mayor, they are optimistic that eventually, the local government will be open to their proposal and realize its benefits for Lolong.

“We will, however, continue to extend assistance to the Bunawan municipal government. A team from the PAWB will be sent to assess the condition of the animal as well as check the situation in the area,” he said.

Elorde yesterday paid Paje a visit and presented to the latter a certificate proclaiming Lolong as the world’s largest living crocodile.

Elorde presented the certificate from the Guinness World Records to Paje in a simple ceremony held at the Bulwagan Ninoy Aquino of the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City.

Lolong, a saltwater crocodile, is presently confined in a pen exclusively built for him, the star attraction at what is now the Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center in Barangay Consuelo in Bunawan.

He was captured in September last year at Magsagangsang River in Bunawan, following his attack of livestock and the reported killing of a 12-year-old girl in Lake Mihaba in 2009.

A team from the National Geographic channel, led by crocodile specialist Adam Britton, measured the crocodile in November to confirm its total body length of 6.17 meters or 20.24 feet.

The previous largest crocodile on record was “Cassius Clay,” measuring 5.48 meters or 17.97 feet and captured in Australia.