Hunters claim to have captured a record-breaking 21-foot monster crocodile in the Philippines.

The saltwater beast was caught by a team of 30 men on Saturday in the town of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur province on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao following a marathon three-week hunt.

Snared using meat bait and a metal cable, if the measurements are validated the reported 600kg croc would be the largest of its kind in captivity.

The massive reptile has been transferred to a nature park close to where it was caught, where it is now said to be the star attraction.

Guinness World Records™ officials are currently awaiting further evidence in order to verify if a record has been broken.

The current record for the largest crocodile in captivity was set by Cassius in 2008, an Australian saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), measuring 5.48 m (17 ft 11.75 in).

The largest croc of all time is Sarcosuchus imperator, a prehistoric species which lived around 110 million years ago.

Recent fossilised remains found in the Sahara Desert suggest that this creature took around 50-60 years to grow to its full length of around 11-12 metres (37-40 ft) with its maximum weight of around 8 tonnes.