So long, Lolong and the parodies

It will not surprise us that Mayor Edwin G. Elorde of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, has treated Lolong as his own son. Lolong, the biggest saltwater crocodile in captivity has put Bunawan in the roadmap for a must-see place in the country. Consequently, Lolong’s presence gave the local folks a golden hope. Economic activities flourished courtesy of their adopted son. Many sari-sari stores lined up to serve the local and foreign tourists who yearned to see this jaw-dropping croc. These locals gave him a name and a stature of a king.

Four months ago, when I was on my way to Butuan City, passing by Barangay Consuelo where Lolong took his shelter in the Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center, the place could not have been any better without Lolong. It is an eco-park built to accommodate him. Any layman would see it however as a blatant admission Lolong was already separated from his natural habitat that he used to enjoy. For we know, he must have swum across rivers until the current had brought him to the marshlands of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.

The croc may have been deprived of the natural environment where it could freely move around knowing its size or eat whatever it likes, including the forbidden: humans. Lolong was noted to be the primary suspect in the unexplained disappearances of some residents, one a fisherman and a child in the area. But Lolong as a transient in that eco-park has only stretched thus far his life of its biological limitations. The municipality may not be prepared for his death. What could only remain in the imagination is that because of his size (20. 3 feet), he can be a baby dinosaur with the attributes of Godzilla, where it sparks interests why it has to establish its abode in this country.

Lolong got all the attention from day one of its capture. It suddenly became popular which earned for himself the tag as the most famous animal of his specie. He has gained many followers, too which incidentally made him on top and became the icon of Bunawan. Since the Mayor treated Lolong as his son, with such affection, he could have succeeded to put a buwaya on its flag as a constant reminder of Lolong’s presence in the area.

About a few months, when the idea was prompted to transport Lolong to the capital city in Manila, the folks in the municipality protested. For how can an adopted son of Bunawan be separated from its father, the mayor? But before its cold and heavy body flipped over, to proclaim the demise of the son, the aging Lolong could have whispered to his father his displeasures of his life inside the pen that was designed for him. Assuming that he was treated fairly as an animal prisoner from the hands of his captors, the menu for his diet should have been checked, too. Lolong barely opened his eyes, like he had been sleeping for months but when he peeped with meats of chicken for him to devour, he could have died of heart attack or bangungot. Whoever said that he attacked a water buffalo (carabao) that led to his capture, can also explain how a buwaya of its size take control of its regular diet.

If eating then is the key to survival for this kind of wild animal, then meals fit for a king should have been provided to him. Sadly, the idea cannot be over-stretched as death could still come to Lolong due to his age. Necropsy from a pool of experts came to Bunawan’s aid, amidst the throng of mourners. Some wept while others shed crocodile tears. When animal doctors ripped off his body to dissect what’s in there, curiosity was out of the question. What’s inside Lolong’s belly could be more interesting than knowing the cause of his death. Some quarters said Lolong died of stress or he may haunted by bad memories of his past victims.

It is sad Lolong did not make it to Manila where he could have met his own kind. However, for aggressive proponents, they might have taken the bitterest pill as they will surely be blamed for the animal’s death. Now that Lolong is gone, Bunawan folks may re-start thinking of other livelihood alternative for the preserved remains of Lolong to be exhibited there may not be a sure crowd drawer. The animal prison facility had its captive set free due to his death. But local folks pinned their hope that Lolong’s partner, larger than he was, may just be around kilometers away for the tracking. This belief doesn’t make sense at all but may give comfort to the grieving local folks. Filipinos anyway love the novelty, the unsual. What if another find will be a lizard the size of Lolong or a crocodile the size of a lizard? Take your pick. Lolong certainly is a big loss to the people of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.