Protecting An Endangered Specie MALANG, BIGGEST FRESHWATER CROCODILE GOES BACK TO LIGUASAN MARSH MAY 15

By the Philippine News Agency

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — “Malang,” believed to be the country’s largest crocodile in captivity will be released back to the wild even without an order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mayor Joselito Pinol of Mlang, North Cotabato said Thursday.

“We have no intention of keeping the crocodile (as a tourist attraction), we will send it back to the marshland,” Pinol said in a radio interview of the 2.8-meter reptile.

Malang was captured by fishermen on April 12 in Barangay Dungguan.

“Once the crocodile’s condition improves, it will be released back to the marshland,” Pinol said.

The Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) has been weak since it was captured and tied to a huge tree for several days.

After several negotiations with the fishermen, who had earlier demanded P40,000 for the reptile, it was turned over to the local government “for custody and health recovery.”

“The crocodile appeared to be stressed and weak when the LGU took custody,” Pinol said.

“We have no intention of keeping it for we know pretty well it is endangered and must be sent back to the wild,” he stressed.

Earlier, Theresa Mundita Lim, Biodiversity Management Bureau director, advised local officials to return the reptile to the Liguasan marsh.

Pinol said his office has been coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for Malang to undergo a series of health tests before it is released.

Local DENR officials said several crocodiles as huge as “Lolong,” the saltwater crocodile acknowledged by Guinnes World Records as the largest in captivity before it died in February last year, could be lurking in the 220,000-hectare Liguasan marsh, which straddles the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.

Considered a critically endangered species, freshwater crocodiles like Malang can grow to a maximum of 3.05 meters, wildlife officials said.

Malang was named after Mlang, a first class municipality that sits beside the Liguasan marsh.