Remembering Lolong - King of the Crocodiles

 

The saltwater crocodile is so aggressive that it is responsible for many attacks each year. 

The research from Oceania indicates that crocodiles have powerful jaws, capable of biting at a velocity of 12-14 feet per second, and strong teeth - with one study indicating the longest recorded tooth length to be five inches (13 cm).

As the deadliest bite in the animal kingdom, this allows for a very powerful kill.

Crocodiles usually move away from the water and come out to hunt.

They are very quick and can lunge at prey that they've spotted which is why they're often found along a water's edge.

In 2011, a crocodile was captured in the municipality of Bunawan, Philippines after being suspected of eating a fisherman and also killing a 12 year old girl.

It was once the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity, but unfortunately died in 2013 due to stress and fungal infection.

"Lolong" - a saltwater crocodile - is officially the largest one in captivity. It measured an impressive 20.24ft (6.17 meters) long, according to the Guinness World Records in 2012.

The Guinness listing is based on datasets from experts, including crocodile zoologist Adam Britton who measured Lolong in the new Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center.

He was initially skeptical of Lolong's claims but now congratulate it for being the longest crocodile in history. He never thought there would be a crocodile greater than 20 feet long.

The previous most-recognized world record was 5 meters long, caught in Australia. Now it's been beat with a 5.5 meter-long saltwater crocodile found in the Philippines.

John Britton said that the 2,370 lb. (1,075 kilogram) Lolong may significantly impact crocodile conservation in the country. The senate introduced a resolution to strengthen its laws related to protection of saltwater crocodile and the critical habitat.

Sadly, Lolong passed away in February 2013 just two years after he was captured. Reports say he was found upside down with a bloated stomach.

Lolong's death gained interest again after someone posted a photo of a man poking him with a stick on reddit in remembrance of his captivity and heartbreaking death.

Lolong was the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity. He died because of fungi and the stress he endured two years after being captured.

We wouldn't have been able to catch Lolong if it wasn't for the locals that were reporting his whereabouts.

Analysis of teeth found in 2009 confirmed that the largest saltwater crocodile to be ever captured was responsible for biting off the head of a 12-year-old girl and eating a fisherman who went missing.

After being captured, Lolong became the star attraction at an eco-park and attracted a lot of tourists.

Bunawan municipality Mayor Edwin Elorde said in an interview with a local newspaper that the crocodile was ill for several weeks before its death.

In the lead-up to Lolong's death, they noted that he hadn't eaten for a while and they saw the color of his feces change.

They also noticed that Lolong had a large bloated stomach before his death.

A local veterinarian explained that the unseasonably cold weather may have also contributed to the crocodile's worsening condition before it died.

Lolong's remains were preserved and displayed at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila.

One netizen who went to view Lolong's remains a few years ago said that it was "very, very big" and even compared the encounter to "seeing a dinosaur creation," except that he knew - crocodiles still live unlike dinosaurs that went extinct millions of years ago