Visitors to a wildlife attraction witnessed a 15-metre crocodile attack on his trainer, who was injured after breaking his leg. The reptile is named after Hannibal, who recalls the character in “The Silence of the Lambs”.
The episode took place on September 10 at Crocodile Creek Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and was recorded by witnesses at the crime scene.
According to the news of The South African newspaper, the incident was carried out by the crocodile Hannibal, who is 78 years old and weighs 660 kg. During a presentation to visitors, zoo keeper Sean Le Cleus entered the alligator enclosure and wanted to prove how tame and manipulated these animals can be.
To make the audience even more curious, he sat on the crocodile’s back, still calm and quiet. “This is the only crocodile in South Africa I can sit on my back,” Le Cleus said in the video.
Another reptile next to Hannibal, reacts to the movements of the goalkeeper, making the environment uneasy.
Then the zoo keeper is surprised by Hannibal’s sudden change in behavior, who turns in anger and attacks the man with his teeth. In the footage, people panic when they see Le Cleus being bitten in the left leg.
As he leaves the ground, the injured man can be heard screaming in pain and at the same time a child crying, asking the crowd to stop the recording.
Crocodile Creek management, which made a statement to the local press after the incident, reported that Le Cleus was rescued and is in good condition. Despite the severe blow from the crocodile, the trainer was not seriously injured. The person with holes in his left hand and bruises on his leg and other parts of his body was taken to the hospital.
The agency said Le Cleus recovered quickly and returned to work shortly after the accident. “Sean stitched up and was back at work 20 minutes later.”
A Crocodile Creek spokesperson also explained the reason for the crocodile’s attack, adding that if the animal wanted it, the incident could have ended tragically.
“Because the female was getting close to him and it was so rough. So Sean was watching the female and Hannibal reminded her that she was there. It would have been pretty bad if Hannibal had taken a real bite. Like all business., there are always risks.”
source: Noticias
