Residents were alarmed by a giant 22ft-long crocodile - that turned out to be an animatronic prop for a local TV show.

Footage shows curious locals gathering to gawk at the bound, lifelike reptile placed on a truck that was making its rounds around the streets of Manila, the Philippines, on June 25.

Some of the bystanders, and even the state-controlled Philippine News Agency, reportedly thought the crocodile was alive and real. The wire service took down its post and issued an apology for the erroneous report.

TV station GMA-7 later revealed that the giant predator was merely a publicity stunt for their upcoming show 'Lolong' - named after one of the largest saltwater crocodiles held in captivity.

The animatronic is said to be 22ft-long (6.7 metres), and uses pneumatics to create realistic movements. Its body is made of fiberglass while its skin is made of silicon, the network said.

Lolong, which clocked in at 6.17 metres in length, was previously the world's largest crocodile in captivity until its death in 2013.

The title now belongs to Cassius, an 18ft long (5.48 metres) Australian saltwater currently held in the Marineland Melanesia zoo on Green Island, Australia.