ZAMBOANGA CITY, 25 May 2006 — Villagers captured a 14-foot-high (4.2-meter) wild crocodile on a mangrove in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, police said yesterday.
The female reptile, now under police custody, was captured last week in the coastal town of Siay, about 150 km east of Zamboanga City.
“We are temporarily taking care of the reptile and would hand it over to environment officials whenever they are ready,” Chief Superintendent Jaime Caringal, the regional police commander, told Arab News. The reptile was placed in a caged pond inside a police camp in Zamboanga City.
The crocodile bore hack wounds on its thick armor, but these did not pose any danger to the life of the animal.
It was the first time that a wild crocodile was captured in the area, although smaller ones can be found in many wild habitats on the Mindanao, the biggest island in the southern Philippines.
Some police official said their new “inmate” will most likely be sent to the Crocodile Farming Institute in the southwestern province of Palawan, a special project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to conserve the two endangered crocodile species in the Philippines.
In addition to its aim of conservation, the institute also breeds crocodiles for commercial purposes. Crocodile skins — used for leather bags, shoes and belts and other fashion accessories — are in big demand in the international market, while the reptile’s meat is considered a delicacy in some countries and its internal organs believed to have aphrodisiac properties.
The crocodile farm is one of the major tourist attractions of Puerto Princesa City, the capital of Palawan.
Saltwater crocodiles are the largest and often measure 14 feet long and may exceed 20 feet (6 meters).
The smallest crocodile — the Congo dwarf — averages 3 feet (0.9 meters).
