Member Blog: Melbourne Zoo’s Endangered Philippine Crocodile

In January, Melbourne Zoo welcomed 12-year-old Philippine crocodile Pangalawa (pronounced pang-gah-lah-wah) from Germany’s Cologne Zoo. After five years of planning and coordination, the long-awaited arrival marked an important milestone for the Zoo’s conservation efforts.

"Pangalawa is really important; she’s an ambassador for her species at Melbourne Zoo,” said Keeper Raelene. “Philippine crocodiles are the most critically endangered crocodilian species in the world. There are fewer than 200 left in the wild.”

While crocodiles are often known for their fearsome reputation, Melbourne Zoo’s newest resident, Pangalawa (or Pangi for short), arrived with a much gentler personality.

After making the journey from Germany earlier this year, Pangi took some time to settle into her new home, with keepers describing the endangered crocodile as a little shy while she adjusted to her surroundings.

“Since she arrived, she was a little bit shy, which was what we expected,” Keeper Raelene said. “But slowly she built up confidence and began eating a wide variety of foods, from chickens and rats to fish. We were really happy with her progress.”

Now settled into life at Melbourne Zoo, Pangi has continued to grow in confidence and size. As one of the smallest crocodile species in the world, female Philippine crocodiles are much smaller than many people expect, with males reaching around three metres in length and females remaining even smaller.

Of course, don't let her size fool you.

“She definitely has a strong bite! All crocodiles do,” Keeper Raelene said. “I certainly wouldn’t be putting my hand anywhere near her mouth.”