Edwin Cox Elorde, mayor of Bunawan township, Philippines, with Lolong in September.
Photograph from AP
Published July 2, 2012
Lolong has hit the big time—at 20.24 feet (6.17 meters) long, the saltwater crocodile is officially the largest in captivity, the Guinness World Records announced recently.
Suspected of attacking several people and killing two, the giant reptile was captured alive in the Philippines' Bunawan township (map) last September. (See pictures of Lolong's capture.)
The Guinness listing is based on data by experts including crocodile zoologist Adam Britton, who measured the beast in his home, the new Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Centre. (Read more about Lolong's Guinness World Record listing.)
Initially wary of claims of record-breaking size, Britton blogged his congratulations to Lolong "for amazing the skeptic in me."
"I didn't expect to ever see a crocodile greater than 20 feet long in my lifetime, not an experience I will forget easily," wrote Britton, senior partner of the Australia-based crocodilian research and consulting group Big Gecko. (See pictures of alligators and crocodiles.)
The previous captive record-holder was a 17.97-foot-long (5.48-meter-long) Australian-caught saltwater crocodile.
What's more, Britton noted, the 2,370-pound (1,075-kilogram) Lolong may have a sizable impact on crocodile conservation in the Philippines.
For instance, the Philippine Senate recently introduced a resolution to strengthen laws protecting the saltwater crocodile and the Philippine crocodile, a species deemed critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
As Britton wrote on his blog, "this is excellent progress."
Latest News
Trending News
-
New Sea "Monster" Found
A new species of dinosaur-era reptile is rewriting the books on the evolution of so-called sea monsters, a new study claims.
-
Everest Ice Is Shrinking Fast
The world's highest peak has been shedding snow and ice for the past 50 years, possibly due in part to global warming, new research shows.
-
3-D Butterfly Metamorphosis
Detailed scans capture transformation.
Advertisement
Celebrating 125 Years
-
Jane Goodall
Over the course of 50 years Jane has witnessed the lives of three generations of chimpanzees.
-
Explorer Moment
Ed Viesturs shares an early morning view from Everest.
ScienceBlogs Picks
Connect With Nat Geo
Got Something to Share?
Special Ad Section
Great Energy Challenge Blog
- Stichting Rootbox: Sustainable Design Through Collaboration, With or Without Wind Turbine
- Turkey’s Celal Bayar Still Sun-Powered, With Smaller Panels
- Hungary’s Kecskemét College: Boosting Power, But Keeping Light
- Aston University Plies the Power of Wood
- Universidad Ceu Cardenal Herrera Takes Inspiration From Nature
