18.02.2025 13:50
A crocodile that was rescued from a flood disaster in Indonesia and labeled as 'lucky' bit an elderly man while being exhibited to visitors at a theme park. The elderly man, thinking the crocodile was docile, was suddenly attacked while trying to feed it. Firefighters who arrived at the scene took the seriously injured man to the hospital.
In a shocking incident in Indonesia, a rescued crocodile, which the locals believed to be docile, bit an elderly man who wanted to feed it.
The reptile, rescued from a flood last week and described as "lucky," was being kept at a local theme park for visitors to offer sacrifices. The elderly man, whose name has not been disclosed, and other tourists had come to see the crocodile.
When the elderly man, thinking the crocodile was docile, reached out his hand to feed it, the predator suddenly grabbed the man's arm and pulled him into the water. Footage shows horrified visitors screaming as the crocodile shook the elderly man in its jaws and then released him at the Cimory Dairyland center.
Firefighters took the seriously injured elderly man to the hospital on Monday evening in South Sulawesi.
Eyewitness Siti Aisyah said, "The grandfather was bitten when he tried to feed the crocodile. The locals immediately evacuated him, and he was taken to the hospital due to severe injuries to his hand."
Local fire chief Hasanuddin stated that the animal was captured on February 12 in an area affected by flooding and was being kept at the Cimory tourist facility, which also features mini windmills, dairy animals, and agricultural exhibitions.
Officials had hoped that locals would visit to donate to the crocodile. However, they have now allowed the animal to be released by wildlife workers.
Hasanuddin said, "When we arrived, the locals had gathered at the scene and directed us to the victim, so the evacuation process was quick. According to the information we received, this crocodile had previously been seen near a landfill and had laid eggs on land. If there is a female crocodile, there is likely still a male crocodile lurking around."
This horrific incident is the latest in a series of crocodile attacks that have occurred in Indonesia following the killing of a mother and son by the same wild animal earlier this month.
The Indonesian archipelago is home to 14 species of crocodiles, and there is a large population of the quite large and aggressive estuarine crocodiles that thrive in the region's climate.
Conservationists believe that overhunting has reduced the natural food sources for crocodiles and that habitat loss due to coastal areas being converted into farms has pushed crocodiles closer to villages.
The uneducated local population in the developing country still using rivers for washing and primitive fishing has led to a deadly combination of factors that has resulted in an increase in crocodile attacks.