Crocodylus porosus or the saltwater crocodiles can be found in Palawan's mangrove-lined rivers. These species of crocodiles are man-eating when fully mature, some of them growing to as much as 18 feet long in Quinlogan, Quezon, Palawan. Several people in various parts of Palawan, most of them children, have become unwitty victims of this dinosaur-looking reptile which have survived virtually unchanged in form since their existence 200 million years ago, in the age of the dinosaurs. This is because their presence is difficult to detect as they favor murky waters where they can swim along the river bank undetected by their prey. They are opportunistic feeders, meaning, they attack when opportunity arises (such as their prey walking towards the water to drink). Children are common victims because crocodiles prey on animals proportionate to their size.

Saltwater crocodiles are not easily seen in the rivers of Palawan as they are very shy. Their presence is made known whenever there are news of someone victimized by its strong jaws that bite at a pressure of 2 tons (!). Night spotlight surveys were made by the Crocodile Farming Institute personnel in the 1990s to find out the population of crocodiles in rivers they are known to exist like Taritien River in Narra and Bacungan in Puerto Princesa as well as a river in Roxas. Very few crocodiles, however, were encountered. Only one in a 5 kilometer stretch could be seen. 

The author with assistants Carlos Favilonia and Rudy "Bay Hibaya" during one of the crocodile surveys.

During the 1970s, crocodiles in Palawan were hunted aggressively for their valuable skins. This contributed to the decline of wild populations, the reason why a crocodile conservation project was put up to conserve these reptiles especially the Philippine endemic crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis. It was known as the RP-Japan Crocodile Farming Institute in Irawan, Puerto Princesa. Later, however, as many wildlife are caught illegally in Palawan, the institute expanded to become the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, hosting not only crocodiles but confiscated wildlife in Palawan. 

Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center

Saltwater crocodiles in the Philippines is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. 

The Case of Crocodile Attack in Rio Tuba, Palawan

A saltwater crocodile attacked a fisherman in Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan in the early part of the 1990s. It was a 17.5 foot male crocodile.

The story goes that a fisherman used a homemade explosive to fish in an estuary. He saw a school of fish then threw explosives on it hoping to have a quick catch. Lots of fish were either killed or stunned and floated to the surface. The fisherman swam towards the deeper portion of the river to gather his catch but then was alarmed when his son, just waiting along the river bank, saw something. It was a crocodile swimming towards his father. The fisherman frantically headed his way back to shore but at the point when he had almost been there, the crocodile snapped at him in front of his son’s eyes. The son watched helplessly as the crocodile returned back to water with his victim in tow.

The help of the then Crocodile Farming Institute was sought to catch the large crocodile. It took the personnel three days to catch the crocodile through laying down traps in mangroves. Along the way, crocodile trappers from the institute recovered both of the fisherman’s body from two different locations. The captured crocodile was brought to Irawan using a truck to prevent it from causing further harm.

The restrained man-eating crocodile from Rio Tuba, Palawan.

Transport procedure requires covering the animal’s eyes to minimize stress. The crocodile traveled more than 250 kilometers from Rio Tuba, Bataraza, a southern barangay of Palawan to the Crocodile Farming Institute facility.

When veterinarians examined the crocodile, they found out that the belly of the crocodile sustained injury due to the explosion. The gaping wound on the underside would have caused the crocodile’s death after a few days of trying to treat it. Also, the veterinarians explained that the long trip worsened its condition as crocodiles are known to build up too much lactic acid in their bodies when stressed. The result is somewhat similar to humans having high blood pressure.

Now, the magnificent predator’s skeleton encased in glass and the skin hanging on the wall welcomes tourists visiting the crocodile conservation facility.

The 17.5 foot crocodile skin and skeleton in the lobby of the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center in Irawan, Puerto Princesa.

On June 22, 2011, a large crocodile victimized a fisherman in his mid-thirties in Rio Tuba. The fisherman was gathering firewood when he was attacked. He was found floating along the river, reportedly still in the maw of the crocodile, with the left leg missing and with a mortally bitten body. The crocodile is still at large as of this writing. 

©12 March 2011 Patrick A. Regoniel

updated June 24, 2011, updated again on August 18, 2012

Source: Modified from Magnificent Predators: Crocodiles