PALAWAN WILDLIFE RESCUE AND CONSERVATION CENTER, PUERTO PRINCESA CITY

About 12 kilometers along the southbound national highway lies the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, more popularly known by its former name, the Crocodile Farm. It started its operation in the late 80's as a joint venture by the Philippine and Japanese governments to breed the Palawan crocodile and harvest them later for their meat and skin.  It can be reached by tricycle which visitors may hire from the city as this is not part of their usual route. Multicabs, on the other hand, ply a regular route from the city proper to Barangay Irawan, where the crocodile farm is located.

Palawan's Crocodile Farm and Nature Park marker (Photo by LDocena)

We visited the Crocodile Farm on a hurried tour as we passed by the place on our way to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm located about 8 kilometers further down the road. After alighting from our vehicle, paying the entrance fees (about P30 per person), and a short wait we were ushered into the building. Displayed at the lobby is the sketetal remains of a humongous crocodile encased in glass, about 17 feet long, while its preserved skin hangs on the wall beside the enclosure. This is the first time I saw this crocodile again after seeing  it still alive in Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan in the 1990's shortly after it was caught. I was then working at the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation, a big mining firm operating in the southern part of Palawan,  when this crocodile was trapped and captured at the Rio Tuba river by Crocodile Farm personnel after killing a man named Delfin Siplan, an indigenous person belonging to the Palaw'an Tribe. The crocodile was displayed briefly in front of the company gymnasium before being hauled to this place. Sure, it was scary, it filled the bed of an elf truck! Asked how did they do it, the captors revealed their secret:  if you can cover a crocodile's eyes, she's good as dead. Sometime later we heard the news that the crocodile had died.

The biggest crocodile captured in Palawan. (Photo by LDocena)

We then went to a building where they keep hundreds of small crocodiles, all sorted according to their sizes and ages. They are kept in tubs and they are fed with fish. Their claws created so much noise as they trampled on each other at the sight of the people joining our tour group.

Palawan crocodiles bred in captivity placed in tubs. (Photo by LDocena)

We then went out of the building to the area where the larger, more mature crocodiles are kept. There was a steel bridge above the concrete enclosures giving a good view of the crocodiles below, some lying idly on ponds while the others lay on the concrete pavement.

Adult Palawan crocodiles lying idly in the afternoon drizzle. (Photo by LDocena)

Motionless, a lone Palawan crocodile can hardly be seen in the pond. (Photo by LDocena)

There was a slight drizzle when we came to the mini nature park where different animals are being kept in their respective enclosures. Many of these animals are endemic to the province of Palawan. There was a Palawan Bearcat which I also was in Calauit Wildlife Reserve a few years back, some birds, a python, monitor lizards, ostriches, wild boars, and many others.

The Palawan Bearcat "Binturong" showing its climbing prowess. (Photo by LDocena)

Rare occurrence: an ostrich in Palawan. (Photo by LDocena)

We missed the opportunity to have have a photo session with a small crocodile. It would have been a thrill.