After our visit to the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary and Wildlife Preserve, Jay next drove 35 kms., via the Davao-Bukidnon Rd. and Davao City Diversion Rd/Pan-Philippine Hwy/AH26, to the 7-hectare Davao Crocodile Park Complex, a mere 15-30-min. drive from the city’s downtown area.  The park’s main attractions, naturally, are its 700 saltwater crocodiles and the park has facilities solely for the propagation of these ferocious reptiles, showcasing state-of-the-art crocodile farming in the Philippines.

Check out “Philippine Eagle Sanctuary and Wildlife Preserve“

The author at Davao Crocodile Park

Owned and operated by a group of businessmen headed by Davao City resident Philip “Sonny” Dizon, this world-class park was opened on August 18, 2005 with the help of consultant Dr. Gilbert Buenviaje.  The park has 3 breeding ponds literally teeming with languid crocodiles stretching out and soaking up the sun, completely unmindful of the excited noise of spectators and their flashing cameras.  They are caged according to size and breed.  The biggest cage has a viewing deck elevated at the center of the area.

The gigantic Pangil in his own cage and pond

The most breathtaking and noteworthy of all these crocodiles is the 18-ft. long Pangil (from the native word meaning “fang”), reportedly the country’s second largest and the oldest crocodile (about 60 years old) in the park. He has a pond and a big cage all to himself and, even if he just lies still, he still amazes every curious spectator, including me, with his immense size.

The Crocodile Dancing Show

We arrived in the midst of the 4:45-5:45 PM crocodile dancing show which showcases the leaping ability of the crocodile.  A piece of meat is suspended by a rope just below the cage for the crocodile to eat and  the crocodile leaps (up to 6 ft. high), through its mighty tail, to reach it.  I also saw the skeleton of a 14-ft. long, male, Indo-Pacific crocodile named Boktot who died in 2005 at the age of 40.

The skeleton of Boktot

The park is more than just a crocodile farm as it also houses other exotic animals such as eagles, parrots, lovebirds, mynahs, turkeys, ostriches, monitor lizards (bayawak), Burmese pythons (one of the 6 biggest snakes in the world), bearcats, Oriental civet (or Malaysian civet), Philippine warty pigs, monkeys, Philippine sailfin water dragons, turtles, a male and female Siberian tiger (there are times when feeding them is open to the public), etc..  A few steps from the center of the park is the Davao Butterfly House.

A park ostrich

Davao Crocodile Farm: Riverfront Corporate City, Ma-a Diversion Rd., Davao City, Davao del Sur. Tel: (082) 286-8883 and 286-1054.  Fax: (082) 221-4671. Admission fee: PhP150 (adults) and PhP75 (children, 2-12 years old). Open daily, 8 AM-6 PM (7 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Website: www.davaocrocodilepark.com.