EDITORIAL - Displaced species

“Lolong bread” is a big hit, and coming up are siopao, cookies and pastries also named after the crocodile caught last year in the marsh of Agusan del Sur. The Guinness World Records recently certified Lolong as the world’s largest crocodile in captivity, with a length of 6.17 meters or 20.24 feet and weight of 1,075 kilos.

The local government of Bunawan, where the crocodile was caught, has earned about P2.5 million in tourist receipts at its Eco-Park and Research Center, where Lolong is the top draw. The crocodile has been kept in a cage in the eco-park since September last year and is reportedly subsisting on a daily diet of about 10 kilos of pork. Lolong appears to have gotten over the initial shock of captivity. But the cage, spacious by zoo standards, is still a far cry from the 40,954-hectare marsh that was the reptile’s home.

With Lolong’s popularity, local residents now want to launch a search for another crocodile that they believe is larger than the world record holder. They argue that capturing this second crocodile will not only spare humans and livestock from deadly attacks but also save the reptile from being hunted down and possibly killed.

A better alternative is to fence off vast tracks of the marsh, which is officially a wildlife sanctuary. The marsh is the natural habitat of many endangered species of flora and fauna including crocodiles, the soft-shelled turtle and the Silvery Kingfisher.

A marsh is a place for crocodiles and other wildlife, not humans; Agusan has enough land for human settlement. The marsh, properly fenced off, can be turned into a tourist attraction in itself. Wetland tourism is encouraged under an international convention that seeks to preserve these habitats. Those who want to venture into the marsh should do so only in appropriate watercraft, with sufficient protective equipment against wildlife attacks.

Like the country’s forests and coral reefs, wetlands are also disappearing, depriving many species of their habitat. The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is in the list of Wetlands of International Importance. Its wildlife should be protected and allowed to thrive in their natural habitat instead of being captured and kept in a cage. Lolong the crocodile is just the most prominent example of displaced marshland species. With Lolong becoming a world record holder, the government should now focus on protecting other crocodiles and preserving the marsh that is their home.