The crocodile leaped onto the ill-fated boy’s boat and the two siblings of the victim near the town of Balabac - the area famous for giant crocodile attacks in the .

This crocodile belongs to the saltwater crocodile, the largest coastal predator in the world.

The habitat of this reptile is narrowed down as one of the causes of such traumatic events, the Philippine government said.

The victim’s father spent the night looking for the son’s body but did not see it.

Later, police said a fisherman had discovered half of his body after being eaten by crocodiles in the mangrove swamp on August 12.

The economy and the population of the Philippines are growing rapidly, indirectly robbing the crocodile habitat. Where they used to live in recent years has sprung up cities and towns.

A crocodile here in adulthood can reach more than 5 meters long and weigh up to a ton.

"Since 2015, we have noted that there have been no years of crocodile attacks in Balabac," said Jovic Pabello, a spokesman for the government council in charge of environmental conservation in Palawan island group, including. Balabac, said.

In February, a crocodile attacked a 12-year-old boy swimming in the Balabac River. But fortunately the boy was not eaten by him because his brothers and sisters tried to hit the crocodile’s head with the paddle until it released the boy.