'Lolong' eyed as croc envoy

MANILA, Philippines - A crocodile for an ambassador?

The director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) believes a crocodile caught in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur can be given the title “Ambassador for Crocodile Conservation,” especially if it would be officially declared the world’s largest crocodile in captivity.

PAWB director Theresa Mundita Lim said yesterday she would be meeting with Bunawan Mayor Edwin Elorde to talk about “Lolong,” the 21 feet and one inch (6.4-meter) saltwater crocodile.

“Lolong is like the ‘Pacquiao’ of crocodiles,” she added.

Lolong could be used to help support the cause of the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG), Lim said.

However, Dr. Grahamme Webb, CSG chairman, said Lolong would have better use in the crocodile conservation efforts in the Philippines.

“The Philippines should use that crocodile, (but) not be used by the world,” he said. “It is in the Philippines, it’s (in a) uniquely Philippine situation and they should use it.”

A lot of people are interested in crocodiles and special things can be done with them, he said.

Lim said in the Philippines, crocodiles have been unfairly compared to pot-bellied policemen and corrupt officials in government.

“We would prefer if there is a positive outlook for them,” she said.

“This (comparison) is an insult for them because a crocodile, once its belly is full, would no longer eat. But corrupt officials are never full. This is a wrong comparison.”

The CSG is holding its 21st Working Meeting in the country with the theme “Crocodilians in a Changing World.”

This is the first time that the Philippines is hosting the event that the Crocodylus Porosus Philippines, Inc., National Museum and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have organized.

Of the 23 living crocodile species in the world under the order crocodylia, 11 are listed as threatened species in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

The Philippine crocodile is considered to be “critically endangered,” and if nothing is done to change the situation, it could become extinct in 20 years.

Lim said communities should be informed that instead of senselessly killing crocodiles, it would be better to capitalize on their value.

Crocodiles are an indicator of a healthy ecosystem because fish proliferate where crocodiles are present, she added. Lim said crocodiles provide “healthy nutrient cycling.”

“Recognize their sanctuaries or where they lay their eggs,” she said. “Do not go there because most likely, the female crocodiles are also there. It is important that the people know their biology so we would know when we should avoid them.”

Webb said the state of crocodiles in the Philippines is not very good because of the big human population and limited land area.

“You (also) can’t have wildlife in abundance and people in poverty,” Webb said. “So you have to strike a balance. It is hard to make crocodile conservation in the Philippines.”

Webb said the various crocodile farming and conservation groups are doing their share in increasing their numbers.

“You just have to be very careful, very innovative and very strategic such as generating a tourist industry based on crocodiles,” he said.

“You have to change the crocodiles from a debit to an asset. You have to apply different strategy in different places. You cannot just use one strategy to fix it all.”

Lacoste partners with Mabuwaya

Meanwhile, Lacoste chairman Michel Lacoste said he would continue to support conservation efforts for the Philippine crocodile in Isabela through the non-government organization Mabuwaya Foundation.

The 68-year-old chairman of one of the biggest clothing brands in the world arrived in the country and spent two days with the foundation’s community in Isabela province.

“The purpose of my visit was to get knowledge about the Philippine Crocodile conservation project which is managed by the Mabuwaya Foundation in Isabela,” he said.

Lacoste said he would leave it up to the NGO on how best to deal with the critically endangered species in the Philippines.

“My life is connected with Lacoste brand and although I have a great degree of love for and interest in the crocodile... I don’t know much about the scientific part of it, I learned a lot of things on what was being done and it was very impressive,” he said.

Lacoste’s interest in crocodiles started when his father Rene Lacoste, a French tennis player, made a friendly bet during a tennis match.

Rene was reportedly promised a crocodile skin suitcase if he won the match. The nickname “crocodile” stuck to Rene.

Now, the Lacoste company, through the Fonds de Dotation pour la Biodiversite (FDB), is financially supporting five projects worldwide, including the one on the Philippine crocodile.

For all these projects, over the last three years they have already spent 1.5 million euros.

Lacoste said they would be renewing their commitment “Save Your Logo.”

“We have not decided on the right amount to go forward,” he said.

“Save your Logo” is FDB’s innovative project to protect biodiversity.

Lacoste is scheduled to leave the country today.

Mabuwaya Foundation director Merlijn van Weerd recalled that Lacoste is committed to help finance the reward system and entice communities to beef up the crocodile conservation program – which started last year – for five years.

They are also receiving financial assistance from some zoos all over the world. Lacoste is only one of their benefactors.

Van Weerd said the Mabuwaya Foundation works with the local community on how to deal with the crocodiles that do not live in a farm, but stay in the wild.

“What we do with the Lacoste program is that we give rewards to communities that actually conserve the program,” he said.

”They receive P1,000 per crocodile per year. They use the money to develop their barangays. These are among the poorest of the villages.”

The additional income is helpful to a barangay, Van Weerd said.

During the Lacoste visit, they handed over a certificate worth P42,500 to a village.

Van Weerd said residents would not only protect the Philippine crocodiles but also the wetlands.

“So indirectly, they profit from the crocodiles,” he said

Van Weerd, a volunteer designated director of Mabuwaya Foundation, is a biologist from the Netherlands. He has been in the country since 1999.

In Luzon, it is only in Isabela where the Philippine crocodile can be found, Van Weerd said.