MANILA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- A 12-year-old girl survived a crocodile attack in Balabac town in the Philippines early on Friday night, police reported on Saturday.
Police Captain Ric Ramos of the Palawan Provincial Police Office, said a saltwater crocodile bit the girl's lower right leg while crossing a coconut tree bridge in Catagupan village in Balabac, the southernmost island of Palawan province.
According to Ramos, the girl and her brother were headed to their grandmother's house when the attack happened around 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The brother managed to pull and save his sister from going underwater, he added.
Police said it was the sixth crocodile attack in the town this year. Of the sixth attacks, four were killed while two survived.
A number of villagers have been attacked by crocodiles in Balabac town since 2017, police added.
Environmentalists blamed the attacks on the people's intrusion into the mangroves, the natural habitat of saltwater crocodiles.
Balabac, located about 30 kilometers southwest of the southern tip of Palawan province, is home to many saltwater crocodiles.
