Largest captive crocodile sparks study of near-extinct reptile

As Philippine crocodiles head for extinction, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be begin a study of the animals, spurred on by the discovery of Lolong, the world's largest captive crocodillian, in September in a swamp in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.

It could be the start of long-term government research on what is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a "critically endangered" species. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will start a groundwork study next month on the population and distribution of crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in northeast Mindanao. "This scientific study will hopefully provide us with the necessary baseline information on the abundance and area of concentration of crocodiles within the marsh, from which we will base our short term and long term management program for the crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh," said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje. Hopefully, it will also be the beginning of a focused nationwide study that is long overdue for the Philippine crocodile.

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