Tourists in Boracay Island, Malay town in the Province of Aklan need not worry over the reported presence and capture of a crocodile off a residential area in Barangay Yapak, assures the Department of Tourism (DOT) 6.
The reaction came after the capture of a saltwater crocodile that was spotted about 50 meters away from the shoreline of Barangay Yapak on July 25, 2024 at around 1 p.m.
According to DOT 6, there are wildlife experts who focus tightly on monitoring the situation, aside from personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Local Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LMDRRMO).
Authorities are looking at the possibility that the saltwater crocodile is from another province and was carried by strong waves at the onslaught of Typhoon “Carina."
The MDRRMO and Coast Guard Substation-Boracay caught the reptile at around 4 p.m. that day with the use of a fish net. It was found out that the animal is around four feet long and about a foot wide. It was turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Coast Guard Substation-Boracay said that the reptile was spotted near a residential area that is "not part of the designated spot for tourists."
PCG said that it was the first time a crocodile was seen in the area.