A female keeper has “lost a lot of blood” after a 16 feet crocodile attacked her at a reptile park in Australia, it is reported.
The 34-year-old was putting a plant into the enclosure of a croc called Leo, when he snapped at her on April 29.
She was working at Crocosaurus Cove, in Darwin, when she was mauled by the reptile and rushed to hospital.
Onlookers said that the woman was lucky to escape with her life and it is believed to be the first time that a crocodile of such a size - 16 feet - has bitten one of the workers.
Although there have been bites before at the reptile park by smaller crocodiles.
A tourist at the park said that he overheard staff talking about the attack and they said “apparently there was a lot of blood”, reported NT News.
The outlet also quoted a source as saying she was “lucky she didn’t lose a limb”.
A spokesperson for NT (Northern Territory) WorkSafe confirmed that the attack had taken place and that an investigation was now in place.
“NT WorkSafe can confirm that a female worker was injured after she was bitten on the arm by a crocodile,” the spokesman said, reported news.com.au.
“Due to patient privacy, we are unable to provide any further details on the injury.
“As our inquiry is ongoing, no further comment will be provided.”
Crocosaurus Cove claims on its website to bring “some of the largest Saltwater Crocodiles in Australia and boasting the world’s largest display of Australian reptiles.”
At the park, visitors have the chance to swim with crocodiles and feed them.
Of a previous attack by a smaller crocodile at the park a former staff member reportedly said: "There was a pretty bad bite, probably a year to two years ago now, where an underage staff member actually got bitten by one of the smaller crocodiles."
Meanwhile a missing man is now feared to have been eaten by crocodiles after a pair of flip-flops were found on the riverbank, in Queensland, Australia.
Kevin Darmody, 65, was fishing for barramundi on the Kennedy River in the far north of the state when he suddenly vanished from the riverbank a fornight ago.
Nearby campers and fishermen say they heard splashes and “a commotion”, then later said, "his thongs [Australian word for flip-flops] were left on the bank."
Bart Harrison said a friend of his was close to the place where Mr Darmody vanished.
“A lad came up on the road shouting ‘he’s gone, he’s gone’ and my mate ran down the bank, and said the water was all stirred up and dirty, you could see something bad happened,” he said.
Mr Harrison said it was common to see "a heap of big crocs" in the area.
"Close encounters are really common, they're everywhere this time of year... they are breeding and get territorial," he said.
