The entrance to Crocolandia is reminiscent of Jurassic Park, giving visitors a sense of mystery and curiosity.
Crocodiles are said to have walked the earth long before the dinosaurs did. Their reptilian features have brought nightmares to youths worldwide, but they need to be preserved. That is what Crocolandia hopes to accomplish, by keeping these cold-blooded animals in a safe environment. This Talisay City tourist spot is a very popular field trip destination, but its impact does not only affect young students.
Crocolandia is a wildlife conservation center for some of the world’s biggest crocs — not the slippers, but ponds of real-life crocodiles swimming in the murky water and crawling in the muddy grass as the center’s main attractions.
It’s scary, but this is an opportunity you wouldn’t want to miss. Face your fears as you clear out some common misconceptions about these fascinating creatures.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN CROCOLANDIA
As you enter the premises, you are welcomed by two cardboard crocs, introducing you to the wildlife conservation center.
Aside from Ocean Park and Safari, this is one tourist spot where you can see wild animals up close, especially since the Cebu zoo was closed in 2017. Crocolandia has been in business way before the aforementioned two even started construction, terrifying and amazing Cebuanos for more than a decade.
Safety precautions must be followed to prevent any accidents. You are not allowed to enter the ponds (and who would even want to?) and feed the animals in Crocolandia. The ponds are barricaded in order to protect visitors from the crocodiles, and vice versa. It’s certainly overwhelming to enter a facility housing these cold-blooded predators, but they are well taken care of.
These are a few of the crocodiles staying at the Crocolandia Conservation Park.
Crocolandia holds many of the largest crocodile species in all of the Philippines. From freshwater and saltwater crocs to crocs from other countries, you will be able to gather basic information about these magnificent crawlers.
The most important of these reptiles has to be the Lapu-Lapu, with no relation to the famous Filipino hero.
Lapu-Lapu is the largest saltwater crocodile in the sanctuary. He is basically a celebrity. More than 60 years old and 17 feet long, he is also one of the biggest in captivity in the whole country.
Contending for the title of being the largest croc is another saltwater crocodile called Papa Dave, and the largest ever recorded, the now deceased Lolong.
Safety precautions must be followed to prevent any accidents. You are not allowed to enter the ponds (and who would even want to?) and feed the animals in Crocolandia. The ponds are barricaded in order to protect visitors from the crocodiles, and vice versa. It’s certainly overwhelming to enter a facility housing these cold-blooded predators, but they are well taken care of.
This is Lapu-Lapu, the largest saltwater crocodile in the sanctuary, at over 17 feet long.
As you can see in the photo of Lapu-Lapu’s pond, the saltwater crocodile has some of the most valuable skin out of all the species. They may be at low risk for extinction, but they are being hunted due to their reputation as carnivorous predators. They are also said to have an average lifespan of 70 years in the wild.
Every Sunday, one of the biggest things to look forward to is crocodile feeding. The personnel in charge feed the crocs with a chicken hanging from a stick. Visitors may stay to watch, but are advised to follow strict safety protocols.
Sea turtles swim around separate ponds in the nature park.
Crocolandia doesn’t just hold crocs, though. This nature park houses many more species of animals such as sea turtles and fishes. There are also cages of different birds like Thornbills, Herons, and Parakeets chirping and flying freely.
The famous crocodile sanctuary in Talisay City is also home to several breeds of birds.
You can even get up close and personal with an ostrich, one of the world’s fastest animals, and a tortoise, one of the slowest. Be amazed as you witness a peacock’s feathers and laugh at the monkey’s shenanigans. They even have a Nature Center where you can snap photos of long snakes and other reptiles.
This fascinating nature park offers a spot where you can interact with the fastest bipedal animal, the ostrich.
Crocolandia also preserves some endemic Filipino animals. One of the first you’ll notice is the Philippine Eagle Owl. Its huge eyes stare at you as you pass by, and its head turns and follows when you move away. They also have the Philippine Mouse Deer and Wild Boar.
There are also several native animals in this famous Talisay City zoo, like the Philippine Eagle Owl and Philippine Mouse Deer.
They even have a small playground for the children to play in. If you want to bring something home from your trip, they also have a gift shop. You can even have a quick meal at their bar, the Croco Dine Grill, which serves breakfast meals and heavy snacks.
To get there, you can use a private vehicle since there is parking space available. Taxi drivers are also familiar with this place, so this could be another valuable option. You can find one under the Tabunok Flyover to get a cheaper fare. There are also many habal-habal drivers that will charge ₱50 to get you to the park.
On the way home, there are several tricycle drivers waiting outside that can drop you off on the main highway, where you can ride a bus or another taxi and take the city route via South Road Properties.
Crocolandia is a staple of many student field trips, but their personal animal kingdom makes it a great place to visit for all ages. This is a perfect place to conquer your fears and gain some much needed clarification regarding some of these creatures. You might consider bringing your family members to this great tourist spot to witness some of the country’s greatest crocs. All things considered, it’s a Cebu experience like no other.
