By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
A crocodile measuring six feet in length was captured after it was found by construction workers yesterday at Villa Estefania Subdivision Phase 2 in Barangay Estefania, Bacolod City.

Barangay Estefania Captain Jerry Tingson said the construction workers were working on a house when their dogs started barking, prompting them to stop in order to investigate.

When they got down from the house, they discovered the crocodile beside the dog.

The crocodile attempted to escape to a nearby vacant lot, but the workers, along with residents in the area, captured the reptile by tying it with ropes.

The animal was brought to the Barangay Estefania Hall, where the Negros Occidental Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was contacted.

According to a release by the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) based in Bago City, the crocodile was being kept as a pet by Stephen Caldemon, a resident of the said subdivision.

Caldemon may face charges in violation of RA 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

While he claimed to have purchased the animal in 2015 from a registered wildlife certificate holder, the owner was unable to provide the required documentation to DENR officials.

Tingson confirmed the reptile reportedly went missing around two months ago, during which time, several other pets in the area, such as cats and dogs, reportedly disappeared.

The saltwater crocodile is currently under observation and being rehabilitated at the DENR-CENRO Rescue Center in Bago City./DGB, WDJ