Lolong
Encyclopedia
Lolong is the largest crocodile
in captivity. A male Indo-Pacific or Saltwater crocodile
(Crocodylus porosus), he weighs 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms) and is 20 feet 3 inches (6,17 meters) long, making him one of the largest crocodiles ever measured snout-to-tail.
In November 2011, Australian crocodile expert Dr. Adam Britton of National Geographic sedated and measured Lolong in his enclosure. He confirmed Lolong as the world's longest crocodile in captivity at 20 feet and 3 inches. His confirmation is good enough for entry into the Guinness Book of World Records but that announcement is to be published six months later, in March 2012.
Officials of Bunawan town where the crocodile was captured said that experts from the National Geographic Channel found out that Lolong breaks the record of the previous record-holder: a male saltwater crocodile named "Cassius" kept in the crocodile park of MarineLand Melanesia in Australia's Northern Territory. Cassius is only 17 feet and 11.75 inches (5.48 meters) long and weighs less than 1,000 kg.
creek in Agusan del Sur
province in the Philippines
on September 3, 2011. The area is part of the Agusan Marsh
. He is estimated to be at least 50 years old. It took three weeks to hunt down the giant crocodile and 100 people to take it out of the water. It broke twice from restraining ropes before it was properly secured and it became extremely aggressive several times.
Lolong is suspected of eating a farmer who went missing in July in the town of Bunawan
, and of killing a 12-year-old girl whose head was bitten off two years ago before Lolong's captivity. Experts say the vast Agusan Marsh's tourism potential needs intensive study to avoid fatal human-crocodile encounters.
Crocodile and Wildlife Reservation Center who led the hunt. Weeks of stalking the crocodile took its toll on Cañete's health and he died of a heart attack a few days before the crocodile was snared and captured.
Lolong is now kept in an enclosure in the Bunawan Ecopark and Wildlife Reservation Center in Barangay Consuelo located 8 km out of town. People from nearby towns are now trooping to Lolong’s eco-park after the Palawan
Wildlife and Conservation Center finally gave a go signal to open it to the public on September 17. The Bunawan Municipal Council recently passed an ordinance regulating and imposing fees on gate entrance, parking and other fees at the eco-park where the celebrity giant crocodile now resides.
The eco-park has a P20 pesos entrance fee for adults and P15 for children. These proceeds will be used to buy for Lolong’s food and for the maintenance of the eco-park. The Bunawan Eco-Park is also incurring expenses to maintain electricity, maintenance and other incidental expenses like installation of CCTV cameras. According to Bunawan town Mayor Edwin Elorde, as of October 26th, 2011, the celebrity crocodile has already earned nearly half-a-million pesos in donations, entrance fees, and parking fees, with a daily income of about P10,000 that month.
“You have more than 5,000 crocodiles some of them are giants bigger even than Lolong at Agusan Marsh here in Bunawan therefore we need a longer plan for more visitors to come and visit this homeland of the giants. We are embarking on this P200-million project now and for future generations,” she said.
Engineer Robert Floyd Salise, Municipal Planning and Development Officer, told PNA in an interview here that the P200-M Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center Project will include construction of cottages, lodging houses or inns, swimming pools, an amphitheatre, laboratory and research center, souvenir shops, pavilion and other amenities.
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
in captivity. A male Indo-Pacific or Saltwater crocodile
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, also known as estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles...
(Crocodylus porosus), he weighs 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms) and is 20 feet 3 inches (6,17 meters) long, making him one of the largest crocodiles ever measured snout-to-tail.
In November 2011, Australian crocodile expert Dr. Adam Britton of National Geographic sedated and measured Lolong in his enclosure. He confirmed Lolong as the world's longest crocodile in captivity at 20 feet and 3 inches. His confirmation is good enough for entry into the Guinness Book of World Records but that announcement is to be published six months later, in March 2012.
Officials of Bunawan town where the crocodile was captured said that experts from the National Geographic Channel found out that Lolong breaks the record of the previous record-holder: a male saltwater crocodile named "Cassius" kept in the crocodile park of MarineLand Melanesia in Australia's Northern Territory. Cassius is only 17 feet and 11.75 inches (5.48 meters) long and weighs less than 1,000 kg.
Capture and Habitat
Lolong was caught in a BunawanBunawan, Agusan del Sur
Bunawan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It has an area of 51,216 hectares. According to the 2007 Philippine census, it has a population of 35,757 people with 6,709 households.-Barangays:...
creek in Agusan del Sur
Agusan del Sur
Agusan del Sur is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is Prosperidad and borders, from the north clockwise, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Misamis...
province in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on September 3, 2011. The area is part of the Agusan Marsh
Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary
Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Philippines declared by the former President Fidel V. Ramos. The marshland acts like a sponge, as it is nestled in the midwaters of the Agusan River drainage basin. Within its lakes, several floating communities can be...
. He is estimated to be at least 50 years old. It took three weeks to hunt down the giant crocodile and 100 people to take it out of the water. It broke twice from restraining ropes before it was properly secured and it became extremely aggressive several times.
Lolong is suspected of eating a farmer who went missing in July in the town of Bunawan
Bunawan, Agusan del Sur
Bunawan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It has an area of 51,216 hectares. According to the 2007 Philippine census, it has a population of 35,757 people with 6,709 households.-Barangays:...
, and of killing a 12-year-old girl whose head was bitten off two years ago before Lolong's captivity. Experts say the vast Agusan Marsh's tourism potential needs intensive study to avoid fatal human-crocodile encounters.
Name
The crocodile is named after Ernesto "Lolong" Goloran Cañete, one of the veteran crocodile hunters from the PalawanPalawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
Crocodile and Wildlife Reservation Center who led the hunt. Weeks of stalking the crocodile took its toll on Cañete's health and he died of a heart attack a few days before the crocodile was snared and captured.
Captivity and Display
Bunawan town has made the giant beast the centerpiece of an ecotourism park for species found in the marshlands near the township. Mayor Elorde said, “We will take care of this crocodile because this will boost our tourism and we know it can help in terms of town’s income and jobs to our village communities.”Lolong is now kept in an enclosure in the Bunawan Ecopark and Wildlife Reservation Center in Barangay Consuelo located 8 km out of town. People from nearby towns are now trooping to Lolong’s eco-park after the Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
Wildlife and Conservation Center finally gave a go signal to open it to the public on September 17. The Bunawan Municipal Council recently passed an ordinance regulating and imposing fees on gate entrance, parking and other fees at the eco-park where the celebrity giant crocodile now resides.
The eco-park has a P20 pesos entrance fee for adults and P15 for children. These proceeds will be used to buy for Lolong’s food and for the maintenance of the eco-park. The Bunawan Eco-Park is also incurring expenses to maintain electricity, maintenance and other incidental expenses like installation of CCTV cameras. According to Bunawan town Mayor Edwin Elorde, as of October 26th, 2011, the celebrity crocodile has already earned nearly half-a-million pesos in donations, entrance fees, and parking fees, with a daily income of about P10,000 that month.
Future Plans
Welinda Asis-Elorde, Bunawan media affairs coordinator, said the local government unit, through a private-public-partnership project, will be embarking on a P200-M site development project for the Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center.“You have more than 5,000 crocodiles some of them are giants bigger even than Lolong at Agusan Marsh here in Bunawan therefore we need a longer plan for more visitors to come and visit this homeland of the giants. We are embarking on this P200-million project now and for future generations,” she said.
Engineer Robert Floyd Salise, Municipal Planning and Development Officer, told PNA in an interview here that the P200-M Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center Project will include construction of cottages, lodging houses or inns, swimming pools, an amphitheatre, laboratory and research center, souvenir shops, pavilion and other amenities.