Recently Dinosaur Archaeologists uncovered the largest land predator to have ever lived - the Spinosaurus of the late Cretaceous period. At 17m (56ft) long, and weighing 11 tonnes, it is the largest land predator ever known.
Move forward several hundred million years to the Philippines, which is a home to saltwater crocodiles, which can reach prodigious lengths .... they can grow to 23ft (7m) and can live for more than 100 years. In a story much reported around the world, the local villagers of Bunawan have captured a veritable monster of a crocodile, 6.4m (21ft) in length and weighing 1,075kg (2,370lb). Impressive or what?
Well Josefina de Leon, wildlife division chief of the environment ministry's protected areas and wildlife bureau was ... "Based on existing records, the largest that had been captured previously was 5.48m (18ft) long," she told the AFP. The captured crocodile will now become the main attraction at a planned nature park in the area.
But in a nice twist to the tale, the crocodile hunter Rollie Sumiller who led the capture said this reptile may not be the killer they have been looking for after at least one attack on a human was reported in the area.
"We're not really sure if this is the man-eater, because there have been other sightings of other crocodiles in the area," he told AFP ..... so don't go swamp fishing too soon.
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| Spinosaurus - At 17m (56ft) long, and weighing 11 tonnes. The largest land predator ever known. |
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| Monster Crocodile in Philippines |
But in a nice twist to the tale, the crocodile hunter Rollie Sumiller who led the capture said this reptile may not be the killer they have been looking for after at least one attack on a human was reported in the area.
"We're not really sure if this is the man-eater, because there have been other sightings of other crocodiles in the area," he told AFP ..... so don't go swamp fishing too soon.
