Crocodile Park, where you can see a saltwater crocodile at close range and where the butterfly house that this island vacations buff had visited is also located, has become one of the popular tourist spots nowadays especially with the recent capture of the largest crocodile in the world in the town of Bunawan within the vicinity of Agusan Marsh in Mindanao Island, Philippines. Hence, in one of my trips to Davao City, I made sure to have a spare time to visit the Davao Crocodile Park situated at the Diversion Road in Barangay Maa.
Crocodile Park – My Close Encounter Crocodiles In Captivity
Before proceeding to the butterfly house, I took time to stroll at the Crocodile Park cum mini zoo. After paying the PhP 150.00 entrance fee, I, my wife, my friend Ben Togonon and our driver Jonel had entered the spot and this signage had greeted us . . .
A comely signage inside the Davao Crocodile Park
The inquisitive and investigative mind in me had really came out as I took the opportunity to dig deeper into the life cycle of saltwater crocodiles. My steps had brought me then to this part of the Park . . .
The Nursery and Incubator Room. . .
. . . With state-of-the-art incubators!
The Nursery House . . .
. . . With corresponding storage tanks.
In my search for the next life cycle stage, I stumbled upon this area . . .
The yearlings . . . .
My next stop were the pens intended for juveniles. . .
Juvenile Stage A creatures. . .
Juvenile Stage B animals
The young adults are then called Sub-Adult Breeders . . .
Sub-Adult Breeders . . .
As I walked further, I chanced upon this area . . .
The Breeder B Pen . . .
Hosting more mature breeders.
And, finally, I found the largest ones in the park . . .
The Breeder C Crocodiles . . .
A further stroll led me to the mini-zoo housing exotic birds as well as the Ostrich Farm . . .
The Victoria Crowned Pigeons . . .
The imposing Ostrich Farm signage . . .
And the visit was capped with a pose for posterity . . .
My good friend Ben Togonon, me and my wife ascertaining if our heights can match with that of the giant birds.
Crocodile Park – Final Thoughts
Movies portraying crocodiles as villains devouring the flesh of humans in a split second attack had really shaped up my mind about the animals as ferocious creatures. My perception about them had dramatically changed after watching over a thrill seeker Crocodile Wrestling Show in Bangkok, Thailand. But nothing beats my visit to the Crocodile Park in Davao City as my full appreciation of their life cycle had made me endeared to the animals I once feared most.
Salt Water Crocodile Wrestling – My Unforgettable Experience
My eyes twinkled with excitement when, during the morning of the third day of our September 22-25, 2010 Study Tour on Credit Cooperatives in Thailand, our expert tour guide Mr. Prakob “Tom Cruise” Srirai announced that we would be visiting the popular salt water crocodile wrestling show by the afternoon. Hence, after the usual visit to successful cooperatives included in the itinerary and as we were through taking our sumptuous lunch, our tour bus travelled west of Bangkok and entered a secluded place bearing a gate signage: Welcome To Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo. Our tour guide then ushered us to a crowded place resembling a cockpit arena in the Philippines. Just as I was about to climb on the bleacher, the loudspeaker had barked unfamiliar words which Mr. Prakob interpreted as an announcement for the start of the salt water crocodile wrestling show. Hurriedly, I looked for a vantage point to have a clear view of a concrete elevated platform with improvised crocodile creek enclosed with wire-mesh below. With my point and shoot camera at hand, my eyes kept watch on a spectacular show and one of Thailand tourist attractions about to unfold.
My heart started beating faster when, at the tune of a lively music with occasional announcer’s bark, the two care takers waded through the crocodile creek and wrestled with the crocodiles pulling in the process the wild animalson their tails towards the elevated platform. Afterwards, an animal keeper positioned himself at a distance and slid head on towards his waiting partner salt water crocodile wearing a fully-opened mouth and kissed the nostrils of the beast.
Afterwards, a caretaker put his fully extended right arm inside the widely-opened mouth of the salt water crocodile and, quick as flash, withdrew it in just a split second before the mouth of the wild animal was shut down.
I almost dropped my camera to the ground in extreme fright as the salt water crocodile unleashed the power of its bite with immense force. As record holder of the strongest bite of any animal on earth with a pressure of more than 5,000 pounds per square inch, the bite of the salt water crocodile can easily cut the arm of the keeper at once.
Not contented with such frightening and crazy stunts, the animal keeper not only put his arm inside the mouth of the animal but extended it further, opening in the process the palatal valve covering the throat of the salt water crocodile, and slid his arm deeper into the throat of the beast. . .
Salt Water Crocodile Wrestling – Final Thoughts
Judging from the salt water crocodile wrestling show I had witnessed, and no offense meant for any single wildlife conservationist as I am a wildlife conservation advocate myself, it was my unequivocal opinion that the Thais are special people. My conclusion was anchored on the fact that they are capable of transforming a ferocious salt water crocodile into its most docile state, not for animal exploitation purposes, but for the sake of meaningful thrill seeker entertainment thereby making it as one of Thailand attractions that really enticed tourists to decide on travelling to Thailand.
