PETA: Bunawan wants another large croc after Lolong

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has bared the alleged plan of the local government of Bunawan to capture another large crocodile after the first one, Lolong, died while in captivity last month.

"PETA has learned that the Bunawan government plans to capture another large crocodile and is asking officials to enact a policy against the future capture and confinement of crocodiles," it said in a statement.

GMA News Online was still trying to reach local government officials of Bunawan for confirmation as of posting time.

Lolong, the world's largest crocodile in captivity until its death, was captured in Agusan Marsh in September 2011 and was brought to an open-air enclosure in Bunawan town. Its captivity was partly to blame for its death, said Nelson Devanadera, assistant director of  Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (DENR-PAWB).

According to PETA, Lolong's inability to float in shallow pond, combined with the constant pressure of the concrete floor on his underside left him unable to thermo-regulate.

"Lolong would not have died if he hadn't been captured, imprisoned, and confined to a totally inadequate concrete enclosure for the past 18 months,” PETA campaign manager Rochelle Regodon said. "PETA urges Bunawan not to make this same fatal mistake again. Leave crocodiles in the wild, where they belong."

The statement said instead of capturing crocodiles, the government should create tours for visitors to see crocodiles in their natural habitat. — Amanda Fernandez/KBK, GMA News