Lolong's Death: A Chaos in Tourism?
http://www.tempo.com.ph/2013/02/lung-disease-caused-lolongs-death/#.USliD9nhD-shttp://www.tempo.com.ph/2013/02/town-to-preserve-lolongs-body/#.USliT9nhD-s
Who is Lolong?
Lolong was the largest crocodile in captivity. He was an Indo-Pacific or Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) measured at
20 feet 3 inches (6.17 m), making him one of the largest
crocodiles ever measured from snout-to-tail.
In November of 2011,
Australian crocodile expert Dr. Adam Britton of National Geographic sedated
and measured Lolong in his enclosure and confirmed Lolong as the world's
longest crocodile ever caught and placed in captivity.
Officials of the town of Bunawan where the crocodile was captured said that experts
from the National Geographic Channel
found out that Lolong breaks the record of the previous record-holder: a
17 feet 11.75 inches (5.48 m) male saltwater crocodile named
"Cassius" kept in the crocodile park of MarineLand Melanesia in Queensland, Australia.
Lolong was found dead at
around 8 pm on February 10, 2013.
Lolong
was caught in a Bunawan creek in the
province of Agusan del Sur in the Philippines on September 3, 2011. He was captured with the
joint cooperation of the local government unit, residents and crocodile hunters
of Palawan. The giant crocodile was hunted over a period of three weeks, and,
once he was found, it took around 100 people to bring him onto land He became
aggressive at several points during the capture, and twice broke restraining
ropes before eventually being properly secured. He is estimated to be at least
50 years old.
Lolong was suspected of
eating a farmer who went missing in the town of Bunawan, and also of
consuming a 12-year-old girl whose head was discovered two years earlier. He
was also the primary suspect in the disappearance of water buffaloes in the
area. In the examination of the stomach contents after his capture, remnants of
water buffaloes reported missing before Lolong's capture were found, but no
human remains. Experts say the vast Agusan Marsh's tourism potential needs
intensive study to avoid fatal human-crocodile encounters. The capture of
Lolong is a good advantage in protecting him for survival, against danger he
posed to the humans, an attraction and income for the locality, and an
opportunity for scientific study.
The non-governmental
organization (NGO) activist Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc., with the
cooperation of People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has urged the local government
of Bunawan to return Lolong to the creek of barangay Nueva Era,
where the giant reptile was captured. But, in an ongoing debate, Bunawan mayor
Edwin “Cox” Elorde and residents of the barangay opposed the crocodile's
release, arguing that he would threaten individuals living in the vicinity of
the creek.
The crocodile is named after Ernesto "Lolong" Goloran Cañete, one of the veteran crocodile hunters from the Palawan Crocodile and Wildlife Reservation Center who led the hunt.
After weeks of stalking, the hunt for Lolong took its toll on Cañete's
health. He died of a heart attack several days before the crocodile was
captured.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolong
Lolong as a part of Tourism
Bunawan made the Lolong the centerpiece of an eco-tourism park
for species found in the marshlands near the township. Mayor Elorde said, “We
will take care of this crocodile because this will boost our tourism and we
know it can help in terms of town’s income and jobs to our village
communities.”
The giant crocodile was kept
in an enclosure in the Bunawan Ecopark and Wildlife Reservation Center in
Barangay Consuelo located 8 km out of town. The exhibit was opened to the
public on September 17, 2011, after permission was received from the Palawan Wildlife and Conservation Center. The Bunawan
Municipal Council recently passed an ordinance regulating and imposing fees on
gate entrance, parking and other fees at the eco-park where the celebrity giant
crocodile resided in captivity.
Although the eco-park has a
twenty-peso entrance fee for adults and less for the children, these proceeds
will be used for park maintenance and Lolong’s food. The Bunawan Eco-Park is
also incurring expenses to maintain electricity, maintenance and other
incidental expenses like installation of CCTV cameras. According to Bunawan
town Mayor Edwin Elorde, as of October 26, 2011, the celebrity crocodile has
already earned nearly half million pesos in donations, entrance fees, and
parking fees, with a daily income of about P10,000 that month.
Bunawan Media Affairs Coordinator Welinda Asis-Elorde, said
the local government unit, through a private-public-partnership project, will
be embarking on a P200-million site development project for the Bunawan
Eco-Park and Research Center.
“You have more than 5,000
crocodiles some of them are giants bigger even than Lolong at Agusan Marsh here
in Bunawan therefore we need a longer plan for more visitors to come and visit
this homeland of the giants. We are embarking on this P200-million project now
and for future generations”, she said.
Bunawan Municipal Planning
& Development Officer Robert Floyd Salise, told PNA in an interview that
the P200-million Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center Project will include the
construction of cottages, lodging houses or inns, swimming pools, an amphitheatre,
laboratory and research center, souvenir shops, pavilion and other amenities.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolong
Personal Reactions
Since the capture of Lolong the tourism of Brgy.Bunawan
Agusan Del Sur has boomed. Many tourists from different parts of the world are
lured just to see the biggest saltwater crocodile in captivity.
The 1-ton crocodile, believed to be 50 years old, was
declared dead Sunday a few hours after flipping over with a bloated stomach in
a pond in an eco-tourism park in Bunawan town, which had started to draw
tourists, revenue and development because of the immense reptile, Mayor Edwin
Cox Elorde said. The tourism of Lolong
has became a big part of the lives of the people, for once they have hated the fierce
monster but now they have learned to love Lolong for he helps the city to have great
income. With this great income the government of city of Bunawan has made improvements
that have greatly affected the lives of the people living near Lolong.
Lolong was found dead at around 8 pm on February 10, 2013. “The
whole town, in fact the whole province, is mourning,” Elorde said from Bunawan
in Agusan del Sur province. “My phones kept ringing because people wanted to
say how affected they are.” This is the news of the day in the whole
Philippines for this majestic creature died and the reason is still a mystery. Many
speculations have rise for the reason of the death of Lolong including the
stress Lolong is enduring since his capture. Also the stress of many tourists
surrounding him. For me, the captivity place was too small for a massive
monster like Lolong. The place itself might have contributed to the death of
Lolong, the biggest saltwater in captivity in the world.
Now that Lolong is death, what’s next for the tourism of
Brgy.Bunawan? It may cause chaos and havoc on the tourism of Brgy. Bunawan for
Lolong have been a vital part of the tourism and catching another Lolong would
be a life-risking task to do. I believe that the local government of Brgy.
Bunawan should make an action before it’s too late. I suggest that the remains of
Lolong be put in a museum so that tourists all over the world would still see
Lolong. In this way Lolong’s death would not be a shock for the government of
Brgy. Bunawan. The death of Lolong should not bother the local government for I
know that the local government has already made a back-up plan in case this
tragic moment happens. Officials of Bunawan town in Agusan del Sur plan to hold
funeral rites for the world’s largest saltwater crocodile named “Lolong” and
then preserve its remains in a museum to keep tourists coming and prevent their
community from slipping back into obscurity, the town’s mayor said yesterday.
For me having ritual rites is a good thing for the people can have a last
glimpse of the crocodile before his remains will be put into the museum. I also
believe that it is a good way of incorporating the culture of the people in
Caraga, thanking the giant monster for the income he has given to the local
city of Brgy. Bunawan.
The autopsy report says that Lolong's death is caused by a lung disease and later on promulgated the cardiac arrest at the time of his death. Lolong was approximately 50 years old at the time of his death. I am saddened by this news because in my own opinion the stress that Lolong has been enduring since the time of his capture. If the people who captured Lolong was not harsh maybe Lolong would not be that stress and would still live longer. Also I did not like the place where Lolong was put into captivity, for me it is too small for such a big creature like Lolong. It does not allow Lolong to move freely in such a place. Reptiles does not have the adaptability just like the humans have. They are not able to easily adapt to a new place that is not the same to the place they used to live where they are able to move freely. I also did not like the number of people going to the place of Lolong to visit the massive monster. The huge number of people going into the vicinity is giving stress to Lolong. Now that Lolong is dead I am hopeful that the local government of Brgy. Bunawan have learned their lessons once a new Lolong will be captured.
The autopsy report says that Lolong's death is caused by a lung disease and later on promulgated the cardiac arrest at the time of his death. Lolong was approximately 50 years old at the time of his death. I am saddened by this news because in my own opinion the stress that Lolong has been enduring since the time of his capture. If the people who captured Lolong was not harsh maybe Lolong would not be that stress and would still live longer. Also I did not like the place where Lolong was put into captivity, for me it is too small for such a big creature like Lolong. It does not allow Lolong to move freely in such a place. Reptiles does not have the adaptability just like the humans have. They are not able to easily adapt to a new place that is not the same to the place they used to live where they are able to move freely. I also did not like the number of people going to the place of Lolong to visit the massive monster. The huge number of people going into the vicinity is giving stress to Lolong. Now that Lolong is dead I am hopeful that the local government of Brgy. Bunawan have learned their lessons once a new Lolong will be captured.
Recommendations
I am
delighted that the Local Government of Brgy. Bunawan have made an effort to put
the remains of Lolong in a museum in order for the people to still have a
glimpse of Lolong for the last time. I admire the people behind the putting of
the remains of Lolong in the Museum. I suggest that the local government of
Brgy. Bunawan should put fees such as entrance fees that are affordable so that
income can still be generated even though Lolong is already dead. I know that
the death of Lolong is such a big blow to the economy of the city but let us
not be so hysterical but instead let us be positive in dealing with this
situation. There are always many ways just like the saying “Habang may buhay may pag-asa” Being always ready for another Lolong is what I want for the local government of Brgy. Bunawan.
