MikeLigalig.com

By Ben Serrano

Feeling unsafe on the presence of another huge crocodile, residents of Barangay Nueva Era here now wanted the municipal government to immediately hunt another crocodile believed bigger and longer than Lolong, the Guinness World Record holder as largest crocodile in captivity.

The barangay council of Nueva Era headed by Barangay Captain Teofanies Adlawan passed a resolution last December 27, 2011 and another last April 23 to fast track the hunt, capture, or rescue of another large crocodile they claimed is bigger and longer than Lolong.

In their letters sent to their barangay leaders and town officials, residents claimed that they saw the large crocodile attacking a carabao last April 16 past midnight at Magsagangsang Creek where Lolong was also caught.

The large crocodile the residents saw reportedly even chased the carabao. Luckily, they said no person was near the area.

On April 6, again past midnight, they saw the huge crocodile with smaller ones grouping together and floating like trunk of trees at Magsagangsang creek.

Last April 3, they again saw the large crocodile bump a huge tree trunk floating at the buffer zone of the Agusan Marsh which is near Barangay Nueva Era.

Last March 19, residents claimed they saw the large crocodile with smaller ones near the floating houses of the indigenous people’s (IPs) at the Agusan Marsh.

In their three letters sent to Barangay Nueva Era and Bunawan town officials, the residents all claimed, in most cases, that large crocodiles including the one bigger than Lolong surface and can be seen by people when the water level of Agusan Marsh rises or there is flooding.

Residents who signed the letters said that crocodiles were spotted or seen even in populated areas or near houses at the bank of creeks and rivers and in Agusan Marsh.

“Sirs and Madam at the Barangay Council and Bunawan officials, we are appealing that an urgent hunt, rescue or whatever must be done soon so as to spare people, domesticated animals and livestock lives or maybe spare the lives of these reptiles, you claimed belonged to protective species, We hoped that the hunt will be initiated the soonest or don’t blamed the people if they will act drastically against these crocodiles that endangers people’s lives too,” the residents stated in their three letters dated September 19 and December 22, both in 2011; and March 14, 2012.

The PNA were able to get copies of the letters and resolutions including official letters of the municipal government of Bunawan to Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) Director Theresa Mundita Lim.

Lim in her July 3, 2012 letter to Bunawan Mayor Edwin Elorde, explained the previous survey in Agusan Marsh including that of creeks and rivers were crocodiles are reported spotted indicated no large crocodiles were seen in the areas the residents were complaining.

But the Bunawan LGU in their reply letter to Lim claimed that the surveyors belonging to the Crocodylus Porosus Philippines Inc. or (CPPI) did not stay too long nor scoured the whole area of Agusan Marsh because the surveyors headed by Reneir Pablo only stayed a week or even less.

“We scoured Agusan Marsh, creeks and rivers and in the creek where Lolong was captured for months before we rescued Lolong. The water areas of Agusan Marsh where crocodiles possibly roamed around by now is 55,000 hectares. How can they these CPPI people survey these areas for only one week or even less?” said Mayor Elorde who admitted Renier paid a courtesy call at his office before CPPI started its survey.

Elorde said CPPI which was commissioned by the DENR-PAWB has not officially comprehensively presented yet the results of their survey.

Last September 3, 2011, Lolong was captured/rescued at the Magsagangsang creek in Barangay Nueva Era which form part of the huge Agusan Marsh.

A 43-year-old farmer believed to be attacked by a huge crocodile in the area went missing since 2007. The following year, a 14-year-old girl’s head was chopped off by a huge crocodile in Lake Mihaba in Agusan Marsh which is also part of this town.

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