Bunawan, Agusan del Sur City intends to preserve the remnants of the 1 ton crocodile, named Lolong, into a museum to keep tourists coming and stop the community from slipping back into obscurity, the mayor said Monday.
Lolong was pronounced dead Sunday after he was found floating on its back with the stomach swollen in a pond in a park of ecotourism that had begun to draw visitors, revenue and development due to the huge reptile, said Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde.
"The whole city, the whole province, is in mourning," said Alan. "My phones kept ringing because people wanted to say how affected are."
Wildlife experts will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death, he said.
Guinness World Records had proclaimed and salt water crocodile biggest in captivity last year, the giant at 6.17 metres (20 feet 3 inches). The reptile took first place by an Australian crocodile measuring more than 5 metres (17) and weighed about a ton.
Estimated at more than 50 years, the crocodile was named after a government environmental official who died from a heart attack after the trip to Bunawan, Agusan del Sur in the province of Agusan del Sur to help capture the beast.
Although Lolong was blamed for the death of many villagers over the years, villagers Bunawan, Agusan del Sur grew to love the giant reptile that has come to symbolize the rich biodiversity of the swamp where he was captured. The vast complex of swampy forests, shallow lakes, Lily-covered ponds and wetlands is home to many animals, including endangered species like the Philippine hawk eagle.
Various religious groups offered prayers Monday and spiritual leader also planned to perform a funeral, which foresees the tribal slaughter of chickens and pigs to thank the spirits of the forest to hunger and other blessings that the crocodile has brought, said Elordie.
The ceremony will be held at the Park of eco-tourism, where the reptile was an attraction, drawing foreign tourists, scientists and journalists of wildlife in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, a city of 37,000 people about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southeast of Manila.
Crocodile's capture in September 2011 sparked celebrations in the city. Was caught with traps in steel cable during a hunt prompted by the death of a baby in 2009 and the subsequent death of a fisherman. Water buffalos were attacked by crocodiles in the area.
About 100 people led by Alan pulled the crocodile from a torrent using ropes and then hoisted by a crane onto a truck.
Philippine officials had planned to build a road through the Park to accommodate the increasing number of tourists, said Alan.
He said that will be stored so Lolong tourists and villagers can continue to admire it.
"I would like them to see the crocodile who broke a world record and put our town on the map," said Alan.
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