[imagesource:crocodilecreek]

A KZN crocodile handler was attacked by a crocodile in its enclosure on Sunday, making it out alive by the skin of his teeth.

The close call happened during a live show at Crocodile Creek, in Greylands – 14 kilometres from Ballito – after which the handler was rushed to the hospital to treat his wounds.

The Witness reported that Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) was dispatched to the family-owned Nile crocodile farm, after receiving reports that one of the croc handlers had been bitten.

A video of the shocking incident has been making its way around social media, showing the cap-wearing handler prod the massive reptile with a wooden stick, appearing to annoy the creature, before it launched its (valid?) attack.

The video, shared by Rusa, shows the handler limping away after the croc grabbed him, pulled him to the ground, and eventually let him go.

The man subsequently suffered serious leg injuries but ultimately made it out alive. The owner of Crocodile Creek, Mr Watson, told The Witness that the handler is currently stable and that medical personnel at Victoria Hospital managed to stop the bleeding.

“While I am happy that the employee managed to escape and is currently stable, we are concerned about the violation of protocol. When someone goes into the pond, we require them to have another employee standing by to monitor the situation,” Watson said.

It is still unclear if it’s part of the show to prod the animal until it reacts.

The Crocodile Creek’s website states that the farm aims to raise awareness, sustainability and conservation of the Nile crocodile. The family-run farm is home to roughly 2,000 Nile crocodiles, along with slender-snouted crocodiles, West African dwarf crocodiles and American alligators.

[sources:eastcoastradio&witness]