Well, this isn’t the kind of blog post I was expecting to write today.
But here we are…
I just found out that Pangil, one of Davao Crocodile Park’s most iconic attractions, has passed away.
And honestly?
It hit harder than I thought it would.
The Unexpected News
News like these are the reason why I’m anxious to get back home to Davao. Yeah… I said it… Davao is home now.
I’m no longer uncomfortable using home and Davao in the same sentence.
We’ve been here (in Manila) for more than 2 months now! I miss the farm. I miss Davao.
And then this type of news comes in.
Pangil — the 18-foot, 1-ton crocodile who quietly ruled over his domain at Davao Crocodile Park — was gone.
No more slow, heavy breaths by the water’s edge.
No more lazy afternoons of him soaking under the Davao sun like the king he was.
I feel weirdly lucky though that we got to see him just before we left for Manila. Our last visit to Davao Crocodile Park was back in September 15, 2024.
I didn’t know that three months later he’d be dead.
Such is life.
You never really know and that’s why we have to celebrate being alive each and every time we can.
Lyle and I stood there, just a few feet away from his massive, armored body. Somehow, we managed to secure a good viewing spot during his scheduled feeding time that always attracts loud crowds.
But this time, he seemed uninterested in the food his keeper was giving him. No amount of taps on the water seemed to get his attention which would elicit a feeding response.
If you’ve ever seen how awesome he’d eat, you’d be terrified of crocodiles too!
But he wasn’t his usual self.
At the time, I didn’t realize it would be the last.
Who Was Pangil?
If you’ve ever visited Davao Crocodile Park & Zoo, you’d know who Pangil was.
Or at least, you felt him.
He wasn’t just a big croc.
He was the croc.
The main event.
The one you told your friends about when you got home.
Pangil was a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and man, he was every inch the ancient dinosaur he looked like.
At 18 feet long, with teeth longer than my fingers, he had this heavy, slow-moving dignity about him that was honestly kind of mesmerizing.
He was touted as the second largest crocodile in captivity in the Philippines after Lolong.
When I was still single, I’d spend at least an hour or two admiring him.
You’d think you’d be scared looking at something that big.
And yeah, maybe there was a little fear.
But mostly?
It was awe.
He was beautiful.
In that rough, scaly, primal way that only a creature like Pangil could be.
A Life Well-Lived
From what I read and saw, Pangil lived a good, long life for a captive crocodile.
He was already decades old when we met him. He was a victim of poaching and was brought to the Crocodile Park back in the 90s with a gun shot wound to to one of his hind legs. He hasn’t left the park since.
He was lucky and unlucky at the same time.
Unlucky that he got shot but lucky enough to end up in the Crocodile Park.
Unlike the wild crocs that face poachers, shrinking habitats, and all the other problems humans have effected on the local wildlife, Pangil had a home.
He had caretakers who knew him.
He had visitors who respected him.
And judging from the way he would just be — still, calm, steady — you got the feeling he knew he was safe.
That’s more than what a lot of wild crocs can say.
It’s just sad that a croc like him would never be able to experience life out in the wild again. Maybe live a life that would make him grow to his full potential.
The Last Time I Saw Him
When we visited Crocodile Park before heading to Manila, we made sure to stop by Pangil’s enclosure.
It wasn’t even a question.
You don’t go to Crocodile Park and not see Pangil.
He was doing what he did best: just chilling.
Half-submerged in his pool, eyes half-lidded, probably judging all the noisy humans gawking at him.
We stayed for a while, just watching.
No rush.
Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was knowing we were leaving Davao soon, but everything felt a little bittersweet already.
Now it feels downright final.
I’m grateful we got to see him one last time.
I just wish I had taken more photos.
Or maybe just stayed a few minutes longer.
Why Pangil Mattered
It’s easy to forget that crocodiles are endangered in many parts of the world.
And it’s even easier to lump them into the “scary animal” category without thinking twice.
But creatures like Pangil remind us why they matter.
They’re survivors.
Literal living fossils who’ve outlasted almost everything this planet has thrown at them.
They’re part of the ecosystems that keep rivers healthy and balanced.
They deserve respect — not fear.
And at Crocodile Park, Pangil wasn’t just an exhibit.
He was an ambassador.
He made you stop.
Made you look.
He made you feel something real.
Final Thoughts
Goodbye, Pangil.
Thank you for letting us share a few quiet moments with you.
Thank you for being a living, breathing reminder that dinosaurs once walked this earth — and that maybe, just maybe, they still do.
If you’re ever in Davao and you get the chance, still go visit Crocodile Park.
There are many more creatures there who deserve our attention and care.
But yeah — it won’t be the same without Pangil.
Rest easy, big guy.
You’ll be missed.
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