It is the fifth such crocodile incident in the Filipino town of Balabac this year
It is the fifth such crocodile incident in the Filipino town of Balabac this year
The youngster was on board a small boat with his siblings when the animal pulled him overboard

A dad has recovered the half-eaten remains of his young son after he was grabbed by a crocodile in front of his horrified family.

He searched for the 10-year-old boy overnight, before a fisherman discovered his head and leg in a nearby mangrove swamp.

The shocking attack happened off the coast of the Filipino town of Balabac — notorious for crocodiles.

Police in the Philippines said a search for the boy turned up the grisly remains on Tuesday.

He had been on board a small wooden boat with his two older siblings when the saltwater crocodile struck.

His siblings said he had been sitting at the back of the boat when the animal attacked.

The Philippines' growing population has forced more and more people to live ever closer to the crocodiles' habitats.

This has forced the animals into smaller and smaller stretches of the swamp, leading to more common attacks.

Jovic Pabello, a regional official, told reporters: "Since 2015, we've never had a year with zero crocodile attacks in Balabac.

"It's a conflict on water use."

Also known as estuarine crocodiles, the saltwater is one of the largest reptiles in the world.

Some can grow up to six metres (20ft) long and weigh up to a tonne.

It comes after a crocodile grabbed a 12-year-old boy as he swam in the Balabac river back in February.

The child had a lucky escape as his siblings hit the reptile's head with their oars until it let him go, Pabello said.

In February last year, a crab fisherman in Balabac was killed and half-eaten by a saltwater crocodile.

It happened three months after the man's 12-year-old niece was dragged away by one in late 2017.

Earlier this month, heavy flooding in India saw the animals brought into city streets, with one crocodile attacking a dog which failed to get to safety.