Woman attacked by crocodile while using toilet in their "stilt house"

· A 63-year-old woman in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi, sustained serious hand injuries after a crocodile launched an attack from the water while she was using the toilet in her stilt house

· The shocking incident occurred at night when the high tide level brought the predatory reptile close enough to breach the structure built over the water in Barangay Karaha

· Following the attack, the injured victim was quickly stabilized by her family and emergency responders from the Marine Battalion Landing Team-12 and rushed to a local hospital

· This is not an isolated event; authorities are now conducting a search for the crocodile while reminding residents to be vigilant, citing two similar attacks on fishermen in the same town last April

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For residents of Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi, life above the water in traditional stilt houses offers a unique connection to the sea. But for one 63-year-old woman this week, that proximity turned terrifyingly real when her own home was breached by a hidden predator.

The victim was ambushed by a crocodile while she was simply using the comfort room of her dwelling. The sudden, violent attack left her with severe injuries and has underscored the persistent threat posed by these reptiles in the region.

The shocking event occurred late Wednesday evening in Barangay Karaha. According to reports from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the woman was in the toilet—which, like much of her stilt house, is built directly over the water—when a crocodile lunged upward and clamped its jaws onto her left hand.

The speed and ferocity of the attack were momentary but devastating. The predator released its grip almost as quickly as it struck and retreated into the water, leaving the woman bleeding and in agonizing pain.

The timing of the incident proved to be a critical factor. Authorities noted that the attack coincided with high tide, which would have significantly reduced the distance between the water's surface and the floor of the stilt house, giving the crocodile the necessary height and access to strike.

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The victim’s family and neighbors reacted swiftly. They immediately sought help from the local emergency services.

With the crucial assistance of the responders from the Marine Battalion Landing Team-12, the injured woman was quickly evacuated and rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.

This terrifying encounter is a chilling reminder of the environmental dangers faced by the local community.

It is far from an isolated case; authorities are actively searching for the aggressive reptile and have issued renewed warnings to all residents to exercise extreme caution, especially during high tide and at night.

The MDRRMO emphasized that the crocodile population in the area remains a serious concern, pointing out that two separate crocodile attacks on fishermen were reported in a nearby barangay of the same town just last April, underscoring the necessity for enhanced protective measures and community awareness.

The home, meant to be a sanctuary, became a site of trauma, leaving the community praying for the victim’s recovery and for the swift capture of the dangerous predator.

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In other news, an attempt by an ex-boyfriend to reconcile on their anniversary exploded into a fatal crime, culminating in the 24-year-old former girlfriend being stabbed and struck with a hammer in Cebu City. The horrifying attack unfolded inside the victim's leased residence in Barangay Carreta, and the entire incident was reportedly observed by her six-year-old son, who is now severely traumatized. While the 23-year-old suspect who turned himself in cited rejection and a physical struggle as the cause, community sources indicated the true source of conflict was the suspect's hostility toward the victim's child. The victim's landlady revealed that the woman broke off the relationship precisely to safeguard her son from the ex-partner's resentment, a selfless choice that tragically provoked the murder.

Meanwhile, a family in Valenzuela City was devastated after their pet, which had momentarily escaped its owner's property, was found bleeding profusely and suffering from a completely severed tongue. A neighbor's security recording captured the dog's agonizing whimpers around 12:00 AM, a sound linked to the faint light of a motorcycle passing by, suggesting the time and location of the violent act. Although veterinary professionals confirmed the injury is irreversible and the dog is fighting infection, the resilient animal has bravely begun the process of learning to ingest food and water without the use of its tongue. The dog's owner, Rodlee Rivera-Zulueta, is reaching out to the public for crucial information, firmly stating that their gentle and docile pet was the victim of a random, monstrous act and demanding justice.

Source: KAMI.com.gh