Local officials warn of crocodile attacks in Isabela river

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Authorities from an interior town in the northern province of Isabela have advised residents to avoid going near the Gilingan River after young crocodiles were caught there Wednesday. Gacap Jose, chief of Benito Soliven’s Gilingan village reported over Bombo Radyo Cauayan that residents captured the three fresh-water crocs, prompting village officials to issue a warning because it was likely that adult crocodiles could be somewhere near the area. Also, the warning stemmed from a report a crocodile attacked a pregnant woman – but survived — six months ago in Benito Soliven’s neighboring town of San Mariano, where a crocodile sanctuary was supposed to have been built. According to Jose, there is reason for them to believe that the captured crocodiles were offspring of those that were released by a non-government organization in some rivers in Isabela last year. In July 2009, 50 bred-in-captivity Philippine crocodiles were re-introduced into a lake bordering Divilacan town’s Dicatian village in northeastern Isabela by the Mabuwaya Foundation, an organization that is concerned with the conservation of the critically endangered Philippine crocodile under a £ 20,000 grant from The Rufford Foundation. — Floro Taguinod/LBG, GMANews.TV