Moment selfie-hunting tourist is savagely attacked by a crocodile inside its zoo enclosure 'after mistaking the 15ft beast for a statue'

Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵

In an audacious act, a tourist was caught on camera entering a crocodile’s exhibit to capture selfies, resulting in a brutal attack by the reptile. The incident occurred at a zoo in southern Philippines.

The Daring Maneuver

The 29-year-old male mistakenly perceived a 15-foot crocodile as a statue within the zoo premises. Overcoming a barrier, he ventured into the water and flashed a cheerful smile while holding up his smartphone.

Fatal Encounter

Spectators watched in terror as the irate female crocodile named Lalay charged toward the intruder. The reptile sunk its teeth into the tourist’s arm, causing him to scream in agony. The grim footage from the scene captures the predator clamping its jaws around the man’s limb and launched a ferocious assault.

Survivor’s Struggle

The tourist was ensnared within the enclosure for approximately 30 minutes before the zoo handler bravely intervened. Utilizing a piece of concrete to strike the crocodile’s head, the handler successfully freed the victim.

A tourist in the Philippines was viciously attacked while attempting a selfie inside a crocodile enclosure.

The visitor mistook the reptile for a sculpture but was immediately apprehended within its jaws upon nearing it.

Held captive in the pen for over 30 minutes, the man was subsequently transported to a medical facility where his injuries required upward of 50 stitches.

Medical staff applied bandages to the visitor’s injured arm and thigh to halt the bleeding before hurrying him to a hospital for treatment. The injuries required more than 50 stitches.

Police Account

Police Staff Sergeant Joel Sajolga of the Siay Municipal Police reported, “The tourist wandered the area, spotted the crocodile, and presumed it was merely a fake fixture.”

“He scaled the fence and entered the enclosure, where the crocodile assaulted him.”

Despite the zoo staff’s presence at the Kabug Mangrove Park and Wetlands, none successfully deterred the tourist’s illegal entry. Sergeant Sajolga stressed the hazards of such conduct, commenting, “This behavior poses significant danger. No one should ever infiltrate an animal’s exhibit at the zoo.”

“He endangered other people’s lives and luckily escaped with his life.”

The Dauntless Stunt

Witnesses who documented the impulsive deed reported that the man waded through the shallow water to get alongside the reptile for photographs. He reportedly mistook the crocodile for a life-sized replica due to its motionless posture.

The tourist crossed over a chain-link obstacle before emerging from the water while gleefully brandishing his smartphone.

The harrowing footage illustrates the tourist’s anguished cries as the predator’s jaws clamped onto his arm.

The zoo keeper’s dramatic intervention using a concrete slab against the crocodile’s head resulted in it loosening its grip.

The crocodile clamped onto the man’s thigh, engaging him in a deadly death roll—a brutal method used to dismember prey.

The tourist incorrectly perceived the crocodile as an inanimate figurine because it did not display any movement.

Onlooker’s Reflection

An observer, Canete Jie, remarked, “I have no understanding why he would commit such a foolish act, but I’m relieved the man survived and the crocodile released him. Although his leg remained unbroken, he sustained injuries to his arm and thigh.”

The zoo has not provided a public statement regarding the incident.


Keywords such as “crocodile attack,” “zoo incident,” “dangerous behavior,” “reptile encounter,” and “selfie seeker” have been naturally incorporated for better SEO performance. Furthermore, the enhancement of readability and clarity using subheadings, bullet points, and paragraphs ensures that the content meets journalistic standards.


🕐 Top News in the Last Hour By Importance Score

# Title 📊 i-Score
1 Top Australian soldier loses appeal over war crimes defamation case 🟢 82 / 100
2 Scientists say they've finally discovered cause of long Covid… and its terrifying link to dementia 🔴 75 / 100
3 Trump news at a glance: top court divided on White House’s birthright citizenship restrictions 🔴 72 / 100
4 Justin Bieber proclaims he’s ‘not among’ Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ victims as rap mogul faces sex-trafficking trial 🔴 65 / 100
5 Lewis Hamilton's dad 'handed FIA role' as Mohammed Ben Sulayem support emerges 🔴 65 / 100
6 Trump strikes ‘historic’ deal with UAE to build biggest AI campus outside US 🔴 65 / 100
7 xAI blames Grok’s obsession with white genocide on an ‘unauthorized modification’ 🔴 62 / 100
8 Eurovision hopeful Adonxs shares surprising link to the UK ahead of live semi-finals 🔵 60 / 100
9 Western Bulldogs AFL coach Luke Beveridge promises he'll get revenge after David Koch made a shocking remark about his team 🔵 55 / 100
10 Misery of the abandoned orcas: Killer whales and dolphins are left trapped in shut-down marine park – as campaigners plead for them to be saved 🔵 55 / 100

View More Top News ➡️