Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines. A 29-year-old man suffered a serious crocodile attack at a local zoo after mistaking the 4.5-meter reptile for a statue. The incident occurred after the tourist scaled a perimeter fence and entered the aquatic area.
The man, believing it to be a harmless figure, took out his cell phone to take a selfie with the “crocodile statue.”
It was at that moment that the reptile, an adult female named Lalay , charged at him, sinking her fangs into the visitor’s arm.
The crocodile then grabbed its victim’s thigh and twisted around several times, attempting to use its “death twist,” a technique it uses to dismember its prey.
The tourist was trapped in the enclosure for approximately 30 minutes. Finally, Lalay’s caretaker managed to free the man by hitting the crocodile on the head with a piece of cement, which caused the animal to loosen its grip.
Medical services acted quickly, bandaging the visitor’s arm and thigh to control the bleeding before rushing him to the hospital. There, he received more than 50 stitches for his injuries.
