He is still The World's Largest Crocs!

Lolong was the largest crocodile in captivity. He was an Indo-Pacific or Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) measured at 20 feet 3 inches (6.17 m), making him one of the largest crocodiles ever measured from snout-to-tail. Guinness World of Records confirmed that Lolong is the world's longest crocodile ever caught and placed in captivity replacing cassius from australia.

Lolong was caught in a Bunawan creek in the province of Agusan del Sur in the Philippines on September 3, 2011.

He was captured with the joint cooperation of the local government unit, residents and crocodile hunters of Palawan. The giant crocodile was hunted over a period of three weeks, and, once he was found, it took around 100 people to bring him onto land.He became aggressive at several points during the capture, and twice broke restraining ropes before eventually being properly secured. He is estimated to be at least 50 years old.

Lolong was suspected of eating a farmer who went missing in the town of Bunawan, and also of consuming a 12-year-old girl whose head was discovered two years earlier. He was also the primary suspect in the disappearance of water buffaloes in the area. The capture of Lolong is a good advantage in protecting him for survival, against danger he posed to the humans, an attraction and income for the locality, and an opportunity for scientific study.

Bunawan made Lolong the centerpiece of an eco-tourism park for species found in the marshlands near the township. Since its capture and subsequent measurement and confirmation of international crocodile experts that Lolong was the planet’s largest in captivity, Bunawan town has become a tourism draw, with revenues running in the millions of pesos.The resort in upland Consuelo village where the crocodile had been kept was drawing hundreds of eager local and international tourists daily, generating up to P20,000 of gate receipts per day.

But a sad news broke out to the world at around 8:30 PM last sunday. The 20.4-foot worlds largest croc is dead. Filipinos expressed sadness over the death of Lolong.  As early as after Typhoon Pablo hit Agusan del Sur and other parts of Mindanao last December, Lolong, showed unusual changes. He refused to eat since last month and one of his caretaker noticed  there was a change in the color of his feces and  an unusual ballooning of his belly and the weather has been cold lately, maybe, that affected him. The cause of the croc death is still unknown until the result of his necropsy .

Experts from Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, Palawan Wildlife and Rescue Center, and Davao Crocodile Park perform a necropsy on the belly of Lolong at the Bunawan Eco-Park in Agusan del Sur early dawn Tuesday (12 January 2013). Their initial findings were inconclusive, and the experts said they have to conduct more laboratory tests and results may come in two weeks. 

It took several men just to turn the 20-foot crocodile’s body upside down. I read all the news about his death and I was in awe of what could have been the cause of his death. I have learned that lolong suffered and died because people wanted to make money off his captivity. The concrete pen where Lolong had stayed for about 18 months is not an ideal place to live in for a crocodile its size. He suffered extreme distress and misery. No zoo can come close to providing what even small crocodiles need, much less a crocodile the size of Lolong. Crocodiles are hardwired to roam freely, seek out mates, and hunt for food. These genetic imperatives are compelling, and the way that they are fulfilled in the wild cannot be replicated in captivity. They are nocturnal and, in their natural homes, they feed primarily at night. Crocodiles shun contact with humans, and captive crocodiles like Lolong never become tame.                       

This harsh truth made me asked should the government stop capturing animals from the wild?

Lolong had put Bunawan and the Philippines on the map by being the world’s largest reptile and that’s a record that can’t be erased anymore. The local government asked assistance from the National Museum to have Lolong’s body preserved. In that way we can still look and marvel at him. Last night i heard that they're going to make him 3D! Goodbye Lolong!                                                                                                                                   

 Lolong, you've been part of the Philippine History and in the heart of every Filipinos worldwide you're still the worlds largest crocs ever!   (picture credits to reuters, getty, mindanao news and google.com)