| Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
.svg)  Location in the Philippines  Location in Mindanao | |
| Location | Agusan del Sur, Philippines |
| Nearest city | Bislig |
| Coordinates | 8°19′0″N 125°52′0″E / 8.31667°N 125.86667°E |
| Area | 14,835.99 hectares (36,660.5 acres)[1] |
| Established | October 31, 1996 |
| Governing body | Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
| Designated | November 12, 1999 |
| Reference no. | 1009[2] |
The Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Agusan del Sur, Philippines declared by President Fidel V. Ramos. The marshland acts like a sponge, as it is nestled in the midwaters of the Agusan River drainage basin. Within its lakes, several floating communities can be found. The sanctuary was home to the 20.24 feet (6.17 m) saltwater crocodile Lolong, the world's largest captive crocodile.[3][4]
It is located in the municipalities of Bunawan, La Paz, Loreto, Rosario, San Francisco, Talacogon, and Veruela in the province of Agusan del Sur. The marsh was declared as a Ramsar Wetland Site in 1999. The site is currently being re-evaluated for nomination to the tentative list of UNESCO.
Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a national park under Republic Act No. 11038 (Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018) signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2018.[5]
- ^ "Proclamation No. 913, s. 1996". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ^ "Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Quismundo, Tarra (August 2, 2010). "NGOs launch biodiversity study to save Agusan Marsh". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ "Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary". UNESCO. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ Aurelio, Julie M. (July 7, 2018). "Expanded Nipas law creates 94 more nat'l parks across PH". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 21, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.