NEWS: Town, DENR play tug-of-war over crocodile

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Town, DENR play tug-of-war over crocodile
Philippine Daily Inquirer
April 15, 2014

M’LANG, North Cotabato—A freshwater crocodile that was accidentally trapped near the Liguasan Marsh on Saturday has become the subject of a tug-of-war between the municipality and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

If the local government wants to take care of the eighth-foot reptile, it should provide a shelter for the animal, said Fatima Magulama, DENR chief of protected area and wildlife.

Magulama also told local government to write a letter to the Protected Area Wildlife Coastal Zone Section reiterating its intention to take custody of the crocodile. If the reptile is not injured, it should be returned to its natural habitat, she said.

“If the beast is healthy, then there is no reason for not returning it to the wild,” Mayor Joselito Piñol said. The local government, he added, had placed the animal in the municipal nursery while waiting for the experts from the DENR to check its condition.

The crocodile was trapped in a net set up by fishermen who earlier demanded P40,000 in exchange for it. Piñol said his men did not pay to get hold of the animal.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council team was sent to the place to conduct an information and education campaign to residents.

“I believe there are plenty of crocodiles in the area that is why we want to preserve it,” Piñol said. Williamor A. Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net/594526/town-denr-play-tug-of-war-over-crocodile#ixzz2z8KqmV46

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Fishers who caught 8-foot crocodile want P40,000 cash for the beast
By Williamor A. Magbanua / Inquirer Mindanao
April 13, 2014

North Cotabato, Philippines – A group of fishermen caught a crocodile in the village of Dunguan here on Saturday but demanded P40,000 in cash in exchange for turning over the beast to authorities, local officials said.

The crocodile, some eight feet long, was trapped in the fishnet set up in the Liguasan Marsh.

Hernand Dapudong, a member of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council, said the fishermen, led by a certain “Kap” would only turn over the reptile to authorities in exchange for P40,000 cash. Under environmental laws, all endangered and protected species inadvertently caught from the wilds should be surrendered to the custody of environment officers.

Dapudong and town councilor Francis Biag tried but failed to convince the group to turn over the crocodile.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources still has to act on the problem, according to authorities.

Dapudong fears that the crocodile would die due to stress if it remains in the fishermen’s custody.

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net/594013/fishers-who-caught-8-foot-crocodile-want-p40000-cash-for-the-beast#ixzz2z8Q9u3B1

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DENR tells LGU to turn over crocodile to care facility
By Williamor A. Magbanua / Inquirer Mindanao
April 14, 2014

MLANG, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provincial office in Kidapawan City has called on the local government here to turn over the freshwater crocodile that was accidentally trapped by a group of fishermen near the Liguasan Marsh on Saturday afternoon.

Fatima Magulama, DENR chief of protected area and wildlife, said if the local government wanted to take care of the eight-foot beast, it should have a facility that could accommodate the animal.

Magulama also told the local government of Mlang to write a letter to the Protected Area Wildlife Coastal Zone Section (PAWCZS) reiterating its intention to take custody of the crocodile. She, however, added that if the reptile was not injured, it should be returned to its natural habitat.

Mayor Joselito Piñol said the local government has taken temporary custody of the animal while waiting for the experts from the DENR to check its condition.

“If the beast is healthy, then there is no reason for not returning it to the wild,” Piñol said.

The crocodile was temporarily placed in the municipal nursery and has been placed under observation.

The crocodile was trapped in a fishnet set up by fishermen, who earlier demanded P40,000 in exchange for the reptile.

Piñol said they did not pay to get hold of the crocodile.

The Municipal Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) team was sent to the place where the crocodile was captured to orient residents on laws governing the handling of wildlife.

“I believe there are plenty of crocodiles in the area that is why we want to preserve it,” Mayor Pinol said.

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net/594191/denr-tells-lgu-to-turn-over-crocodile-to-care-facility#ixzz2z8QPoImB

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‘Malang’ next crocodile attraction after ‘Lolong’
Philippine Daily Inquirer
April 21, 2014

M’LANG, North Cotabato—It’s only a third of the late Lolong’s size, but the catch has nevertheless caused excitement in the Liguasan Marsh.

Fishermen from Barangay Dungguan claimed that the freshwater crocodile they caught on April 12 could be the largest so far captured. The reptile has been named “Malang.”

Ali Hadji Nasser, chief of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Division (PAWD) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Mindanao, said that prior to this, the largest in captivity among Crocodylus mindorensis (Philippine freshwater crocodile) was just 1.65 meters. It was caught in the Agusan Marsh a few years back.

Nasser said the one captured by the M’lang fishermen officially measured 2.18 meters. “Our main office in Manila confirmed that it was the largest so far,” he said.

Philippine crocodiles grow to a maximum of 3.05 m, according to wildlife journals.

Another environment official said that while the M’lang catch was the largest so far, it was possible that larger ones lurk in the Liguasan Marsh.

Mamutur Cariga of the Kidapawan City Environment and Natural Resources Office pointed out that the 220,000-hectare marshland, which straddles the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, is conducive to wildlife.

“It is not remote that the marsh, due to its vastness and absence of active human inhabitants, hosts huge crocodiles,” he said.

Saltwater crocs

Cariga said there was also a possibility that “saltwater crocodiles” even bigger than Lolong thrive in the marshland, which draws water from the Pulangi, Maganoy, Buluan and Allah rivers.

Lolong was a 6.09-m saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) caught in Agusan del Sur province in 2011. Lolong died last year.

Nasser said the PAWD had allowed the local government of M’lang to take custody of the freshwater crocodile caught last week until its release back to the wild.

“As we have seen, the LGU (local goverment unit) is doing everything to protect it and is also financially capable to spend for its food,” he said. Crocodiles normally eat birds and small animals.

Nasser also warned residents against hunting crocodiles, which are considered endangered wildlife.

Under Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, anyone found to be in custody of crocodiles will be imprisoned for up to 12 years and pay a fine of P1 million. Williamor Magbanua and Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net/595944/malang-next-crocodile-attraction-after-lolong

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Malang the croc must regain strength before return to swamp, says mayor
Edwin Fernandez / Inquirer Mindanao
April 24, 2014

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—The local government of Mlang in North Cotabato has no intention of keeping “Malang,” a 2.8 meter Philippine freshwater crocodile, as a tourist attraction.

Mayor Joselito Piñol of Mlang said Thursday that “Malang,” captured by fishermen in Barangay Dungguan on April 12, will be sent back to the wild when its health normalizes.

“Once the crocodile’s condition improves, it will be released back to the marshland,” Piñol said in a radio interview.

The crocodile, believed to be the largest of its kind ever captured, has been weak since the fishermen captured it and tied to a tree near the marsh for several days.

After several negotiations with the group of fishermen, who earlier demanded payment of P40,000 for capturing the reptile, it was turned over to the local government “for custody and health recovery.”

“It appears the crocodile was deeply stressed so it was weak when the LGU took custody,” Piñol said. “We have no intention of keeping it for we know pretty well it is endangered and must be sent back to the wild.”

Earlier, Biodiversity Management Bureau director Theresa Mundita Lim said her agency, following consultation with scientific experts, would advise local officials to free the reptile back to the Liguasan marshland.

Piñol’s office had been working closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for a series of tests on the crocodile.

Lim said her office was conducting “community awareness campaigns” to make local residents understand the importance of saving endemic species like Malang.

“We need to make sure that the communities and LGU are aware of the benefits of the release, so they become true partners in protecting the species in its natural habitat,” Lim said.

Local DENR officials said several big crocodiles could be living in the 220,000-hectare marshland that straddles the provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.

Malang is believed to be the largest Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) ever caught. The critically endangered species can grow to a maximum of 3.05 meters, according to wildlife journals.

Two crocodilian species exist in the Philippines, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, which is endemic to the country, and the Indo-Pacific crocodile, or Crocodylus porosus, which is widely distributed throughout the tropical areas of Asia and the Pacific regions.

The Philippine crocodile is a relatively small species compared to its Indo-Pacific cousin, which can grow up to several meters long.

The 6.09-meter “Lolong,” the world’s largest captive crocodile found in the Agusan Marsh which died of pneumonia and cardiac arrest in February last year, was an Indo-Pacific crocodile.

“We have no plans of making money out of Malang by making it a tourist attraction like ‘Lolong’,” Piñol said.

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net/597062/malang-the-croc-must-regain-strength-before-return-to-swamp-says-mayor#ixzz2znNsVWHO

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Crocodile caught in NCotabato to be released Friday
John Unson / philstar.com
May 1, 2014

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines --- Local officials will set free at the Liguasan Marsh on Friday the 2.9 meter crocodile accidentally caught two weeks ago by fishermen harvesting tilapias with a net.

Mlang Mayor Joselito Piñol told reporters the crocodile, which they named “Malang,” will be released right where it was caught.

Experts from the Palawan Wildlife Rescue Center will help facilitate Malang’s release, according to Piñol.

Malang was caught by fishermen in Barangay Dungguan in the southwest of Mlang, one of the gateways to the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Delta.

Piñol said it took them two weeks to nurse the crocodile back to health and prepare it for his return to the wild.

“Veterinarians had to treat the creature first of severe dehydration caused by his captivity in Barangay Dungguan without food and water for several days,” Piñol said.

Veronica Guzman, manager of PWRC, said Malang, a freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus Mindorensis), is now healthy enough to be freed in the wild.

Malang is not the first crocodile ever caught in the vast Liguasan delta, located at the tri-boundary of the neighboring Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces, and teems with endemic bird, fish, and reptile species.

The marsh, the world’s largest in terms of surface area, is also said to have huge deposits of natural gas.

Fishermen in Maguindanao’s Pagalungan town, also located along the Liguasan Marsh, caught in 1994 a 16-feet crocodile in the northern side of the delta.

Piñol said they are expecting environmentalists from across Central Mindanao to escort Malang back to the swampy area in Barangay Dungguan.

Source: www.philstar.com/nation/2014/05/01/1318202/crocodile-caught-ncotabato-be-released-friday

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Malang' released back to Liguasan Marsh
John Unson / Philippine Star
May 3, 2014

NORTH COTABATO - Superstitious Christian and Moro folks believe Friday’s release of "Malang" into the vast Liguasan Marsh will appease the spirit of Raja Muda and bring them “good tidings” in return.

Malang, a freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus Mindorensis), was caught last month by fishermen at a portion of the 220,000-hectare Liguasan delta in Barangay Dungguan in M'lang town while they were harvesting wild Tilapias using a net.

Local officials, led by M'lang Mayor Joselito Piñol, and representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Philippine Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, set Malang free at a swamp that connects to the marsh at about 3:00 p.m.

There is an undying Moro folklore about an 18th century chieftain, Rajah Muda, who ruled Muslim enclaves in what are now chartered towns of Carmen, Pikit, Matalam, and Kabacan in North Cotabato, and Maguindanao's adjoining Pagalungan and Montawal municipalities, had reincarnated into a mystical white crocodile for him to continue protecting the vast delta from encroachment by outsiders.

Moro folks scattered in the marsh believe Rajah Muda is the "vicegerent," or ruler, of the Liguasan Marsh, the world’s largest in terms of surface area, and teems with endemic fish, reptile and bird species.

The marsh is also said to have huge deposits of natural gas. It forms part of a vast plain spreading through what is now Maguindanao, which means “people of the flooded plains,” depicting a relationship in the ecology of the delta and the lives of ethnic Maguindanaons, surviving largely on rice, root crops and freshwater fishes since time immemorial.
Nation ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

There is a barangay in Pikit named Rajah Muda, from whose royal lineage sprung the Sultan sa Namli, and, subsequently, the ancestors of the present-day Matalam family, and many other related clans in the Maguindanaon-Matabangen subgroup in Central Mindanao’s Raya (upstream) area.

According to contemporary Moro historians, so admired was Rajah Muda during his time for his strong advocacy for the protection of the Liguasan’s wildlife from unwise utilization, as gleaned from Quranic teachings, that he even disallowed fishermen that supplied the Spaniards with fishes from the marsh from getting close to its tributaries.

While the story that the Rajah had reincarnated as a magical white crocodile is doubtlessly pure superstition, many folks that dwells along the marsh believes in it firmly. Superstition is a taboo in Islam.

They even have stories of how military surveillance teams, during the height of the Moro uprising in the 1970s, failed to spot from the air, while aboard helicopters or small fixed-wing aircrafts, Moro rebels moving from one spot of the marsh to another using small boats.

The marsh has since been a sanctuary for Moro guerilla forces.

Former employees of the now defunct Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) had also talked about how strong winds destroyed the Tilapia cages they built on a strategic spot in the marsh, as a public demonstration facility for captive fish culture, during a fine sunny day in 1979.

The SPDA employees said they believed they caught the ire of the "white crocodile" for not having sought permission to put up the project which aimed to educate marsh dwellers on Tilapia culture.

The fish cages were eventually rebuilt, but only after the SPDA employees overseeing the project sent a shaman, even if it was against Islamic principles, to offer something to the "unseen guardian" of the marsh and explain the government's objectives in putting up the demonstration facility.

Even Piñol, who is now in his second term as mayor of Mlang, said he noticed something strange in the surroundings of the area where they set the 2.9-meter Malang free.

“There were many sets of footprints of smaller reptiles, perhaps smaller crocodiles, on the ground as if indicating they converged there, anticipating the return of a member of the clan, and then disappeared as we came close,” Piñol told reporters.

Piñol, a younger sibling of former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, said, they did not have even a slight intention to keep Malang captive, or display the crocodile in a public zoo.

“Our LGU has been an active advocate of environmental protection,” he said.

Piñol said they decided to take custody of Malang and threatened its captors with fine and imprisonment when they demanded a P40,000 “finders’ fee” from the Mlang LGU.

"But we had to treat Malang first of dehydration and injuries before it was returned to the wild," the mayor pointed out.

Source: www.philstar.com/nation/2014/05/03/1318945/malang-released-back-liguasan-marsh