Tourist Mauled by Real Crocodile After Mistaking It for Statue During Selfie Attempt 

A 29-year-old tourist narrowly escaped death after he was mauled by a crocodile while attempting to take a selfie with what he mistakenly believed was a statue at a zoo in the southern Philippines.

The shocking incident occurred on April 28 at the Kabug Mangrove Park and Wetlands Zoo in Barangay Laih, Siay town, Zamboanga Sibugay province. The man reportedly climbed over a chain-link fence and waded through shallow water inside the crocodile enclosure, unaware that the 15-foot reptile named Lalay was real.

Eyewitnesses said the man ignored warnings and posed with his smartphone for a photo, only for the female crocodile to suddenly lunge at him. In a horrifying scene captured on video, Lalay clamped her powerful jaws around his arm and later bit into his thigh, dragging him into a violent death roll—a technique crocodiles use to tear apart prey.

Despite his screams, the tourist remained trapped in the enclosure for nearly 30 minutes before a brave caretaker intervened. The handler reportedly struck the crocodile with a piece of cement, forcing her to release the man.

Emergency responders quickly attended to the victim, who sustained serious injuries to his arm and thigh. He was rushed to a hospital and received over 50 stitches. Fortunately, his leg was not fractured.

Police Staff Sergeant Joel Sajolga confirmed that the man had trespassed into the restricted area, mistaking the still reptile for a plastic fixture. “This kind of behavior is extremely dangerous. No one should ever enter an animal enclosure,” he warned.

Bystander Canete Jie, who filmed the attack, said: “I can’t fathom why he would do something so senseless, but I’m relieved the man survived.”