My family and I lived in Bislig, Surigao del Sur from 1971 until 1979. The village we lived in was near vast coastal marshlands surrounded by jungle.
As a young boy growing up there, we often heard stories about huge saltwater crocodiles lurking in the marshes, esp. in the brackish waters near the coastal highway.
Some soldiers my Dad knew told us that some kidnap gangs would throw their victims into the marshes if their families failed to pay their ransom.
We don't know if it was true, but we knew from some tribal folks that kidnap gangs, communists rebels, and other lawless elements often hid in the jungles near where there were reported sightings of crocodiles.
But some tribal members told us that they had lost some of their people to those monsters in the waters.
I was lucky enough to have seen some of them in the wild, and also some live ones captured by hunters and sold for their meat along the coastal highway.
The name of the village we lived in is Forest Drive Village. And if you will look at it in the map, you will see that it is just some 15 or 16 miles east of Bunawan, where Lolong was captured.
Quite a tale you have there. Especially the part about the kidnap gangs which is frightening. Our country has a lot of marshes filled with legends and I wish there was is a way for us to safely observe them without disrupting their habitat. Indeed you are lucky to see some of them out in the wild.
Yeah, everyone I've told about it were amazed by my family's experiences, and also about the fact that we have those giants still living in some of our waters.
And although they are on the local endangered species list, I am not that concerned because Australia's population of saltwater crocs have recovered since the ban on hunting that they imposed in 1971. So, they are our go-to country, in case we need to re-stock our population.
I am more concerned with our Phil. eagles, though. Once they go extinct, there is nowhere to go and ask for specimens from, to start a breeding program.
And as fortunate as my family and I were to have observed some of our county's beautiful wildlife, it came with a price.
We lived there at a time our govt. was waging a war on communist insurgency and Muslim rebellion, and Mindanao was the center of that war. Living there in Surigao del Sur, we have experienced what it was like to be in a warzone.
We have seen firefights between govt. troopers and NPA rebels right outside our house, and my sisters and I have seen their dead, as their bodies were laid out on the side of the road awaiting retrieval by the Army.
Imagine being 3 or 4 years old, and seeing those things at such a young age. And even though we were partially raised in our maternal grandfather's military household and told of his wartime stories, looking back at those memories 40 years later, those are the things that innocent eyes should not have to behold.
And that's why when I engage with talks about crocodiles, all these wartime memories come to the fore. Now, this reply has whetted my appetite to write about all the creatures I've seen in our 8 years there, and I'll put it in my to-do list, and drop you a mention when I've posted it someday. :)
That is a very traumatic experience seeing such things at an early age. War is ugly I dream of a time when all the places in our country would be safe to visit. Sad to say it is still on going in some places. Our country has so much beauty and mysterious places to offer. I hope one day all will just be a memory and heal the present for a future with so much potential.
I'm glad our talk inspired you to share more about your tale. I will be looking forward to it. Peace bro.