PETA: Mali may suffer Lolong’s fate

MANILA, Philippines - Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) yesterday expressed hope that Lolong’s death would motivate the government to stop capturing animals from the wild and locking them in cages like in the case of Mali, the elephant.

“Tragic as it may be, the death of the world’s largest crocodile in captivity, Lolong, was expected,” PETA said in a statement.

The group has been calling for the transfer of Mali, the 38-year-old lone pachyderm at the Manila Zoo, to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand where she could mingle with her own kind.

The group said the death of the 20.24-foot reptile did not come as a surprise.

“While the exact cause of Lolong’s death is still being investigated, scientific studies have shown that captive animals die younger than their wild counterparts,” PETA said.

It blamed those who made money out of Lolong’s captivity for his suffering and his death.

Lolong reportedly spent his last 18 months alone in a concrete pen, instead of in the Agusan Marsh, where he belongs. He was captured in the marsh, a protected area in Agusan del Sur, on Sept. 3, 2011.

The Guinness World Records officially declared him as the world’s largest crocodile in captivity.

PETA said crocodiles are fascinating animals with complex and multifaceted lives. They communicate using aural, visual, tactile, and olfactory cues, and their courtship rituals include body postures reinforced with odor from paired musk glands. They are nocturnal creatures, and feed primarily at night. Crocodiles shun contact with humans, and captive ones like Lolong never become tame.

“No zoo can come close to providing what even small crocodiles need, much less a crocodile the size of Lolong,” the group said.

It added: “Crocodiles are hardwired to roam freely, seek out mates, and hunt for food. These genetic imperatives are compelling, and the way they are fulfilled in the wild cannot be replicated in captivity. When you consider the immense size and strength of Lolong, there is no doubt that being contained in a cramped enclosure caused him extreme distress and misery.”