Seeing crocodiles is nothing new to me. I’ve grown up joining educational tours that took us to different zoos and nature parks in Davao City. Now that I’m all grown up and have a little girl of my own, I wanted to give her the same experience. Going to Davao Crocodile Park is one of the easiest ways to do this.
We live a short ride to the Davao Crocodile Park located just along the Davao River. The sprawling complex includes the croc park itself, a butterfly sanctuary, a zorb park, souvenir shops, snack bars, restaurants, and a breeding facility.
Birds
Entrance to the park costs P200 for adults and P100 for children; senior citizens and large groups get discounts. Upon entering the park, the sound of different birds attracts children and the child in each visitor. To the left is a row of colorful birds in open perches and a little further is a wildlife encounter photo booth. A photo with each animal costs P40. During our last visit 2 years ago, we had our photo taken with a Brahminy Kite. Little Adie loved being so close to a bird for the first time. She even bravely touched the head of the eagle!
This time we opted for a more tame kind of bird. Though still very interested in birds, the little one has lost her courage and would not dare touch it. She enjoyed watching daddy feed it, though!
There was also a bearded dragon close to the photo booth but it looked too scaly and formidable for my taste.
Tigers
Further into the path was the enclosed area containing tigers. The park charges an extra P25 to get closer to the giant cats. One of the tigers named Sultan kept growling at the teenagers posing just outside his cage. When it was our turn for a selfie, he gladly obliged and did not scare the living daylights out of us.
After the tigers, we went to the field where ostriches were roaming freely. Some of them were resting in the shade while being fed by park personnel. You can feed the ostriches for a fee. I was scared of getting bitten so I just watched and took photos instead.
Crocs and other animals
We saw huge pythons, bearcats locally known as binturong, a few fowls, exotic birds, more bearded dragons, lots of crocodiles, and other animal species. Pangil, the largest croc in the park housed in its own enclosed pool, was no fun that day. He was fast asleep with his mouth slightly ajar revealing sharp yellowed fangs.
Taking photos with wildlife
Two years ago, we had our photo taken with an albino python, after much consideration. It was quite heavy, even if it was just placed on our lap. Adie was then a little scared and refused to touch the cold, scaly skin which explains the awkward smile in the photo.
After the python, I was feeling more like a daredevil so I decided to have my photo taken holding a baby croc. At first, I thought it was easy: just hold it and pose. But the little biter was agitated and kept moving in protest. It was really a good thing that its snout was tight shut; otherwise, I would have been bitten. I did not want another go this time around.
All in all, a weekend day spent at the Davao Crocodile Park is always worth it. Around lunch time, more and more people started to arrive, tagging along children who take delight in watching the caged animals and chasing pigeons around. We headed to the Riverwalk Grill for an exotic lunch but that’s another story. Keep posted!
Downloadable Resources: For a closer look at Davao’s Crocodile Park, Philippine Traveler has prepared a photo review for you. The Davao’s Crocodile Park Food Review is available as a free PDF download or free Powerpoint download. Enjoy this review at your leisure or share it with a friend!
