A tourist visiting a Philippine zoo thought it was a great idea to take a selfie with what he believed was a fake crocodile. Decided to take the picture, the 29-year-old climbed through the animal's enclosure and approached it. He would then find out the hard way that the crocodile was not fake at all, with it biting his arm and dragging him through the shallow waters.
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According to the Manila Bulletin, the incident took place on Monday, April 18, at a wetlands park in Siay town, located in the Zamboanga Sibugay province of the Philippines. Eric Saladaga Vista, described as a "mentally impaired man," came face to face with the crocodile inside the Kabug Island Mangrove and Wetlands Park.
With a phone in hand, Vista jumped inside the crocodile's cage and posed for his selfie. However, as shown in a video obtained by ViralPress, the crocodile, a female named Lalay, bit him on the arm. While grasping his arm, the crocodile dragged Vista through the waters, at one point even rolling over, twisting his arm. All the while, his and the witnesses' screams were picked up by the video cameras.
Rescued
According to the Daily Mail, many zookeepers present at the zoo failed to prevent Vista from entering the crocodile's enclosure. However, it was Lalay's owner, Nanding Panogan, who managed to rescue Vista, reportedly by slamming a piece of cement onto the animal's head. That way, Lalay loosened her grip, allowing Vista to escape and, thankfully, save his arm.
Medics present at the zoo tended to Vista's wound, and he was later rushed to a local hospital. There, he received more than 50 stitches due to the severity of his wounds. Police Staff Sergeant Joel Sajolga told the Daily Mail that what Vista did was reckless.
"This kind of behaviour is very dangerous. Nobody should ever enter an animal's enclosure at the zoo," Sajolga said. "He put other people's lives at risk and he is very lucky to have survived."
One witness shared Sajolga's sentiment, calling what Eric Saladoga Vista did a "stupid thing."
"I don't know why he would do such a stupid thing," Canete Jie, the witness, said. "I'm glad the man is alive, and the crocodile just let him go. His leg wasn't broken, but he suffered arm and thigh wounds."
