| SALE TODAY: Learn Piano on iOS bit.ly Wildlife authorities in the Philippines say they have captured a 21-foot-long, 2370-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 and has been blamed for a pair of fatal attacks . 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. The beast was caught in a creek by villagers who had lived in fear of it for more than 20 years. The monster-sized reptile is estimated to be at least 50 years old — saltwater crocodiles can live up to 100. 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 villagers, of course, are very happy that they have been able to turn this dangerous crocodile from a threat into an asset. He's a problem crocodile that needs to be taken from the wild ... and used for eco-tourism," Mayor Elorde told reporters. The previous largest crocodile in captivity is an 18-footer in Australia, according to Guinness World Records. Despite the capture of the 21-foot-long, one ton reptile, many other large crocodiles remain in the rivers and the local villagers have been told not to ... |
