Crocodile on DisplayPhotograph from European Pressphoto Agency
Saltwater crocodiles—such as the recently caught giant, pictured on September 6—are considered a species at low risk of extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
About a thousand of the species roam the Philippines' southern swamplands, where the new catch was found, Philippine wildlife official Glen Rebong told the Associated Press.
Though the species isn't under immediate threat, it is protected from hunting by law, Barr emphasized.
"It saddens me to see big animal like that get captured," he added.
Philippine Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Ramon Paje told the AP that the crocodile was captured because it was a threat to the community. But he added that such the presence of such reptiles is a reminder that the country's remaining habitats need to be protected. |