MANILA, Philippines — What a croc! Its mighty snout wrapped tightly with ropes, a 1-ton-plus, 20-foot saltwater crocodile was captured and put on display in a town in the southern Philippines. It is one of the biggest such reptiles to be caught in recent years.
Lolong, as it has been nicknamed, is about to become the star attraction of an ecotourism park. The reptile, which tips the scales at 2,370 pounds, is estimated to be at least 50 years old.
Residents of Bunawan township celebrated when they captured the croc after a three-week hunt. About 100 people pulled the feared beast from a creek by rope and hoisted it by crane onto a truck. While the croc was safely tied up, they examined its teeth, claws and stubby legs with fascination.
Their party may have been premature, however. Authorities said Tuesday an even bigger crocodile may still be lurking in creeks of the remote region in Agusan del Sur province, where crocodiles have in recent years killed a child and a water buffalo and are suspected in the disappearance of a fisherman last month.
