A casual visit to a mangrove park in the Philippines turned into a life-threatening ordeal after a 29-year-old man mistook a real crocodile for a sculpture—and walked straight into its jaws.
The incident took place at Kabug Mangrove Park in Zamboanga Sibugay. According to a report by Cosmo, the man—whose identity has not been disclosed—was exploring the park when he spotted what he believed was a lifelike crocodile statue in the shallow waters. Intrigued by its realistic appearance, he entered the water to take a selfie, unaware that the 15-foot predator was alive and waiting.
What followed was a horrifying attack. The crocodile lunged at him, clamped its jaws around his body, and attempted to drag him into deeper water. Onlookers watched in shock as the man struggled helplessly, the reptile using its natural kill tactics to try and drown him.
WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO:
A tourist in the Philippines was mauled by a crocodile after mistaking it for a statue.
The 29-year-old climbed into the enclosure to take selfies before being attacked.
He suffered serious injuries but survived.#Philippines #CrocodileAttack pic.twitter.com/wQs6VSyh3v
— BPI News (@BPIOrgNews) April 29, 2025
Park staff and a crocodile handler jumped into action, battling the animal for over 30 minutes before they could free the man from its grip. He was rushed to a hospital with serious injuries, including deep lacerations that required more than 50 stitches.
Police Sergeant Joel Sajolga shared a video showing the bloodied and disoriented man sitting behind a protective cage after his rescue. In his blunt caption, Sajolga wrote, “This man did a stupid thing and got trapped.”
The video and incident quickly went viral, sparking an avalanche of online reactions. Many social media users expressed disbelief over the man’s lack of caution near such a clearly dangerous animal. Authorities have since urged visitors to exercise strict caution around all animal enclosures, especially those housing large predators like crocodiles.
The park remains open to visitors, but local officials are expected to review safety protocols and increase warning signage following the incident.
