Guinness team arriving in PHL to measure croc 'Lolong'

A team from the Guinness Book of World Records is coming to the Philippines to measure the 21-foot-long saltwater crocodile caught in Mindanao earlier this month, to make sure it indeed is the world's largest caught alive. The team may also do a special story on the crocodile, which was caught in Agusan Marsh last Sept. 3, radio dzBB reported early Friday. Guinness had said it is "awaiting evidence" to show Lolong indeed deserves a world record. "If the measurements are validated the reported 600-kg croc would be the largest of its kind in captivity," it said on its website. Guinness said the current record for the largest crocodile in captivity belongs to "Cassius" in 2008, an Australian saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), measuring 5.48 meters (17 feet and 11.75 inches). It said the largest crocodile of all time is Sarcosuchus imperator, a prehistoric species which lived around 110 million years ago. [Also see story: Lolong's ancestors fought 40-ft snakes over food] "Recent fossilized remains found in the Sahara Desert suggest that this creature took around 50-60 years to grow to its full length of around 11-12 meters (37-40 ft) with its maximum weight of around eight tons," Guinness said. Earlier this month, hunters claimed they may have broken a world record in capturing Lolong. Citing earlier reports, Guinness noted it took a team of 30 men to subdue the creature in Bunawan town in Agusan del Sur, after a three-week hunt. Lolong has since been transferred to a nearby nature park, although there had been concerns about its recent reported loss of appetite. — LBG, GMA News