A crocodile handler is in hospital after being attacked by the reptile at an Australian wildlife sanctuary.
Renee Robertson, 25, was a spotter for a crocodile feeding show at the Billabong Sanctuary in Townsville, Queensland on Monday afternoon, when she was lunged at and bitten on the arm by a 2.5 metre (8.2 feet) female crocodile named “Tipper.”
The attack was captured on video by an unknown visitor and shows Robertson on the ground, as a colleague hits the crocodile with a stick. Visitors initially thought the incident was part of the show, according to an eyewitness who spoke to The Courier-Mail.
Image: FACebook/billabong sanctuary
Robertson is currently recovering in hospital after receiving surgery for significant arm injuries, while a further eight people treated for shock. Despite the shocking ordeal, the crocodile will not be put down.
“It was a very unfortunate incident and one that we’re very sad about,” Bob Flemming, the sanctuary’s owner, told the publication. “As Tipper is a crocodile, she’s certainly not going to be euthanised but we’ll review our training procedures and make sure it never happens again.”
The park has a number of crocodiles on-site, taking part in feedings as per this Instagram post by the Billabong Sanctuary. This is however not the same crocodile that attacked Robertson.
Queensland workplace health and safety inspectors will visit the sanctuary to investigate and interview Robertson, plus other employees, according to ABC News. Robertson was halfway through her six-month training process to work with the reptiles.
“Her passion is mammals but we wouldn’t have pushed her through the training if we didn’t think she was capable,” Brad Cooper, the sanctuary’s curator, told The Courier-Mail. “She hadn’t started to work with male crocodiles yet but she was very competent in working with females and performing that spotting role.”
Crocodiles are an unpredictable bunch, and as obvious, it isn’t pretty when they bite back.
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