In this Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011 file photo, Bunawan Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde pretends to measure a huge crocodile which was captured by residents and crocodile farm staff along a creek in Bunawan in Bunawan town in Agusan del Sur province, southern Philippines. Guinness World Records has declared Sunday, July 1, 2012 that the huge crocodile blamed for deadly attacks is the largest in captivity in the world. Guinness spokeswoman Anne-Lise Rouse says the saltwater crocodile nicknamed “Lolong” measured 6.17 meters (20.24 feet) and weighed more than a ton. (AP Photo)JIM GOMEZ
MANILA, Philippines (AP) – A huge crocodile known as Lolong has brought pride, fear, tourism revenue and attention to the remote southern Philippines town where it was captured. And now it has claimed a world record, too.
Guinness World Records declared the giant, blamed for deadly attacks before it was captured last September, is the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity in the world.
The news sparked celebrations in Bunawan, a farming town of 37,000 in Agusan del Sur province, but Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said it also fostered concerns that more giant crocodiles might lurk in a marshland and creek where villagers fish.
“There were mixed feelings,” Elorde said by telephone. “We’re really proud because it proves the rich biodiversity of our place but at the same time, there are fears that Lolong may not be alone.”