Malang is Free! BIGGEST FRESHWATER CROCODILE RELEASED BACK TO LIGUASAN MARSH

By Manny Pinol

Malang, the freshwater crocodile caught by two Maguindanao fishermen in Lower M’lang, was brought back to his natural habitat yesterday afternoon where he was released.

Malang, who at 7.9 meters long is considered as the biggest freshwater crocodile ever caught (crocodyllus mindorensis), was released after he was marked in the presence of M’lang Mayor Lito Pinol and local officials of the town, DENR Director Datu Tungku Saikol, the director of the Palawan Crocodile Center, Veronica de Guzman and a team from the University of Southern Mindanao led by Dr. Cayetano Pomares.

The two Maguindanao fishermen who caught Malang while they were catching fish in the lower portion of M’lang River barehanded also joined the huge group of people and local village officials who escorted the crocodile back to his natural habitat.

Released along with Malang was a family of Tarsiers, known to Maguindanaoans as “Tikra”, which was earlier caught by farmers near the boundaries of Barangay New Antique and Dungguan.

The Tarsier family was composed of a male, a female and a suckling who was being protected by the mother by keeping it hidden in her belly.

“I never knew there were Tarsiers in Liguasan Marsh,” said DENR Director Saikol who asked his staff to document everything so that the portion of the Marsh near M’lang town could be declared a sanctuary for freshwater crocodiles and tarsiers.

The release of Malang yesterday ended his almost a month of captivity.

Before he was released yesterday, Malang was officially measured by the validation team led by Dr.Cayetano Pomares of the University of Southern Mindanao and the director of the crocodile center based in Palawan, Veronica de Guzman and DENR officials.