Giant crocodile captured in the Philippines becomes an internet sensation

Photo of the giant crocodile caught in Agusan del Sur

The giant crocodile caught alive in Agusan del Sur, Philippines recently has become an instant sensation online. With his videos on Youtube amassing more than 800K hits and the Yahoo article about his capture getting more than 150K Facebook recommends and 4K tweets, Lolong (name given to the giant croc) is no doubt the newest internet celebrity.

Suspected in attacking a fisherman and a water buffalo, the huge reptile, a male saltwater crocodile, was captured over the weekend after 3 weeks of hunt. It measures 21 feet (6.4-meter) in length and weighs 1-ton (2,370 pounds, 1,075 kilograms)! It is believed to be the biggest crocodile ever captured in the world in recent years.

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest crocodile in captivity was caught in Australia. It measures 17 feet 11.75 inches (5.48 meters). There were also reports of a 6.2-meter(20.3-foot) male crocodile that was killed in Papua New Guinea in 1982. With that said, Lolong would easily surpass the largest captive crocodile.

Lolong is soon to become the "biggest attraction" in a nature park in Agusan del Sur, a town mayor said.

Meanwhile, villagers and experts are still continuing their hunt for another crocodile which is believed to be larger.

*Photo courtesy of Facebook and its original owner