A Filipino man has been killed after being attacked by a crocodile in a river in Palawan in the Philippines.
The victim, identified as Jomar Mangali, 35, was first reported missing by his family on Thursday. On Friday evening, Mangali’s body was recovered in the Canipaan river in the town of Rizal, The Filipino Times reported.
Mangali was reportedly attacked by a crocodile. Jovic Fabello, a spokesperson for the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, said there were crocodile nesting areas in the river banks and the area was off-limits to residents.
“It was possible that the victim was in the river and was attacked when a crocodile saw him,” Fabello said.
Authorities said Canipaan River was also considered a crocodile sanctuary and they were still investigating how Mangali reached the place.
Last December, authorities captured a 15-foot crocodile in Balabac in Palawan, after it killed a fisherman the month before.
Residents in the area have been warned to avoid going into rivers with crocodile nests in them. Fabello also warned locals not to hunt the crocodiles themselves as it would be a violation of Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.