One female Saltwater Crocodile (𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘴) was turned over by Mr. Jovie Belliones of Bgy. Buliluyan, Bataraza, Palawan to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) District Management Office (DMO)-Bataraza on February 22, 2021.
The saltwater crocodile has a length of 198.12 cms.
In an interview with the PCSDS DMO Bataraza, Mr. Belliones narrated that at around 8:00 AM on the same day, as he was checking for a fish catch, he was surprised to see a crocodile trapped inside his fish corral. He immediately reported the incident to the Philippine Coast Guard stationed at his barangay for the retrieval of the said crocodile.
The Philippine Coast Guard in turn coordinated with the PCSDS DMO Bataraza and reported the occurrence of a saltwater crocodile trapped inside Mr. Belliones’ fish corral at 10:00 AM on February 22, 2021.
The PCSDS DMO Bataraza staff went to Mr. Belliones’ location on the same day for verification of the report. With the assistance of four members from the Philippine Coast Guard, they rescued the saltwater crocodile. Upon further coordination with Barangay Captain Khaizar Abdulkarim of Bgy. Buliluyan, they managed to release the said crocodile back to its natural habitat in an undisclosed location in the municipality of Bataraza, Palawan.
The Saltwater Crocodile is listed as “Critically Endangered species” under PCSD Resolution No. 15-521. If you happen to find or have rescued any wildlife, you can turn them over to our office so that we can properly take care of them. You can reach us through our hotline numbers 0935-116-2336 (Globe/TM) and 0948-937-2200 (Smart/TNT), or you can send your messages to us through our official Facebook page.
