SAN FERNANDO CITY: A crocodile believed to be extinct in Pampanga was "safely rescued" in the northern part of the province on Saturday (Aug. 1).
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) described the animal as a "15-year-old female saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)."
In a report, the DENR said a concerned citizen reported its presence in Barangay San Agustin in Magalang town.
This crocodile was not found in the brackish waters of coastal Pampanga, such as in Sasmuan town where the species once thrived, Roger Encarnacion, head of the DENR Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, said when the Inquirer sought clarification.
Sasmuan is home to the 3,500-hectare Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetland, the country's eighth Ramsar site.
Encarnacion said information suggested that the saltwater crocodile could have "come from elsewhere and possibly been cared for in the area until it was possibly surrendered after it became known that it was prohibited as a pet."
It measured about 3.10 metres long and was in good condition, he said.
He said the Wildlife and Water Resources Management Section and the Forest Protection, Surveillance and Intelligence Section of the DENR Pampanga transported the crocodile and turned it over to the Global Zoo and Theme Park Alliance Inc., an accredited wildlife rescue centre inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
Encarnacion said the DENR has a standing agreement with the firm to accept and care for wildlife rescued in the province.
Ralph Pablo, DENR regional executive director in Central Luzon, said the "successful rescue underscores the importance of public vigilance and community participation in wildlife conservation."
Encarnacion said crocodiles and snakes should not be treated or kept as pets because of the risks they pose to human safety.
Saltwater crocodiles are protected under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which promotes the conservation and protection of the country's native wildlife species and their habitats.
Pampanga historian Robert Tantingco wrote that the 1732 Kapampangan dictionary of Fray Diego Bergaño recorded "a lot of crocodile terms and phrases."
Cultural anthropologist Prof. Joel Mallari said the towns of Mabalacat and Magalang once had villages named Babang Dapu (crocodile chin) and Quematayandapu (where a crocodile was killed or found dead). Present-day Mabalacat and Magalang are both located along the Sacobia-Bamban River and the Abacan River.
One of the churches that bears tiny sculptures of crocodiles is Sta. Monica Parish, a national cultural treasure in Minalin town.- Inquirer/ANN
