21-foot monster crocodile caught
Villagers gather by the 21-foot-long crocodile after it was captured on Saturday.
September 6th, 2011
01:01 PM ET

21-foot monster crocodile caught

Wildlife authorities in the Philippines say they have captured a 21-foot-long, 2,370-pound saltwater crocodile, thought to be the largest creature of its kind now in captivity.

The croc was captured in Agusan del Sur marsh on the southern Philippine island of Mindinao, according to a report on GMA News. Hunters had been trying to capture it for 21 days, the report said. It was finally captured on Saturday by a team of about 30 men who used meat to bait it and an eight millimeter metal cable to snare it, according to an Agence-France Presse report on ABS.CBN News.

Edwin Cox Elorde, mayor of the remote town of  Bunawan near where the croc was caught, said the reptile will become the star of a nature park there, according to the AFP report.

The previous largest crocodile in captivity is an 18-footer in Australia, according to Guinness World Records.

Crocodiles are suspected in the deaths of a local fisherman earlier this year and a girl a few years ago, according to the news reports, but authorities could not say whether the monster caught Saturday was responsible.

Cox Elorde told Inquirer news in the Philippines that there could be a thousand more large crocodiles in the marsh, but he denied earlier reports that locals would try to catch another.

He also said the croc captured Saturday has been named Lolong, after local hunter Ernesto “Lolong” Conate, who died of a stroke while helping plan the capture of the reptile.

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Filed under: Animals • Philippines
soundoff (538 Responses)
  1. jbracing62

    That's not a croc, THIS is a croc...

    September 6, 2011 at 3:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • JNessmith

      Hehehehehehehehehe. I always enjoy a Crocodile Dundee reference.

      September 6, 2011 at 3:43 pm | Report abuse |
  2. RedStapler

    Glad it was not killed. It is their world too.

    September 6, 2011 at 3:43 pm | Report abuse |
  3. philcroc

    I'm from the Philippines and in our defence, that crocodile was caught in a marsh that kids have to cross on boats to get to school everyday. Please don't fault us for trying to protect ourselves and our children.

    September 6, 2011 at 3:45 pm | Report abuse |
    • Upggrrayeed

      CROC HATERS !!! Teach your kids to not be so oblivious ! Like looking both ways crossing traffic. Oh thats right thats still a myth over in asia, that looking both ways works.

      September 6, 2011 at 4:00 pm | Report abuse |
    • Stacey

      another local article mentioned that it killed a water buffalo – a carabao... and you know how much a carabao is worth to farmers.

      September 6, 2011 at 10:53 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Salad Spinner

    Crock Alfredo w/ Penne Pasta

    September 6, 2011 at 3:46 pm | Report abuse |
    • Paula Deen

      Croc nuggets with a clarified butter sauce.

      mmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm!

      September 6, 2011 at 4:10 pm | Report abuse |
  5. teri

    Relocate the animal but dont put him in a zoo!

    September 6, 2011 at 3:52 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Upggrrayeed

    Got to love them asians, probably flipping out thinking they caught the Philippine Gojira ! But seriously taking a creature that old from the wild and live in a cage is just wrong. As mentioned earlier.

    September 6, 2011 at 3:58 pm | Report abuse |
    • Lino

      @Upggrrayeed – What would you have the people do then? allow the croc to eat up their children? what if you traded places with them? how would you react? what could you have done better? – Your Prejudism against asians is showing – look both ways yourself, try doing that whilst going accross a river to go to school.

      September 7, 2011 at 12:24 am | Report abuse |
  7. Blogson

    Dang! I was hoping that they would send the croc to Washington, D.C. and turn it loose to deal with the politicians . . .

    September 6, 2011 at 4:05 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Jon

    This is insane. They should clone it and make more big crocodiles.

    September 6, 2011 at 4:11 pm | Report abuse |
  9. lk

    Poor damn croc. Wildlife always get the shaft. If it could kill itself because it's now a caged prisoner, it probably would!

    September 6, 2011 at 4:12 pm | Report abuse |
  10. BBK

    MALE A SUIT CASE OUT OF EM...PUT OBAMAS LIES IN IT

    September 6, 2011 at 4:16 pm | Report abuse |
  11. A;ex

    this is a great story and a awesome creature was captured and still kept alive. I dont understand why it was so funny and why they were laughing about it?

    September 6, 2011 at 4:16 pm | Report abuse |
  12. JBK

    This story is a crock! :)!

    September 6, 2011 at 4:37 pm | Report abuse |
  13. AGS

    Mindinao!!!!??? come on CNN at least get your geography right! about this crocodile its too old probably very chewy to eat. i prefer young and tender ones!

    September 6, 2011 at 4:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • monica

      I'm from Philippines. Agusan Marsh was not far where I lived and finally this kind of creature was finally found. What a brave my fellowman faced when they caught this crocodile.

      September 7, 2011 at 12:28 am | Report abuse |
  14. I love Sandra

    Crock and roll!

    September 6, 2011 at 4:42 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Mark

    Crocodiles are notorious man eaters and realistically serve no purpose in today's food chain. Most of the animals they eat are harvested by humans as well.

    September 6, 2011 at 4:44 pm | Report abuse |
    • jT

      Mark, 21 foot is huge, if man is killing off all its pray than how did this one get so big. I guarantee you itl's not a vegetarian.

      September 6, 2011 at 5:03 pm | Report abuse |
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