A 29-year-old man was bitten by a crocodile after mistakenly believing it was a statue at a wetlands park in southern Philippines.
The man visited Kabug Island Mangrove and Wetlands Park in Zamboanga Sibugay province. While walking around, he spotted a female crocodile named Lalay resting inside a fenced enclosure. He thought the 15-foot reptile was a plastic model.
He then decided to climb over the chain-link fence and wade through the shallow water. As he took out his phone to take a selfie, he jumped into the enclosure. The crocodile immediately attacked.
The rescue and response
Police arrived shortly after the attack and found the man with a bite on his right leg. Sergeant Joel Sajolga of the Siay Municipal Police explained that the man had walked around the area, then climbed the fence, believing the crocodile to be a statue. Once inside the enclosure, the crocodile struck.
Nanding Panogan, the crocodile’s owner and caretaker, rushed to help. He climbed into the pen and struck the crocodile on the head with a piece of cement. This forced the crocodile to release the man. Panogan then helped the man escape after he had been trapped in the enclosure for nearly 30 minutes.
Medical treatment and recovery
Medics quickly treated the man by wrapping his arm and thigh to stop the bleeding. They took him to the hospital, where doctors stitched his wounds and treated him with more than 50 stitches.
Sergeant Sajolga criticised the man’s actions, stating, “This kind of behaviour is dangerous. No one should enter an animal’s enclosure. He put his life, and others, at risk. He is very lucky to have survived.”
Onlookers filmed the incident. The footage shows the crocodile grabbing the man’s arm and performing a ‘death roll,’ a technique used by crocodiles to overpower prey. The bystanders could be heard shouting as the man was dragged through the water.
The park has not released a public statement, and the investigation is still ongoing.
One onlooker, Canete Jie, commented, “I don’t understand why he would do something so reckless, but I’m glad he survived. The crocodile let him go, and although his leg wasn’t broken, he still suffered injuries to his arm and thigh.”
