Horror moment 4.5 meter long crocodile with ‘the most powerful bite in the world’ sinks its teeth into screaming zookeeper

THIS is the horror moment a 15ft crocodile sinks its teeth into a zookeeper in front of terrified onlookers.

The experienced reptile expert had given a demonstration to dozens of visitors at a theme park in Crocodile Creek South Africa when he was viciously attacked.

The crocodile keeper had poked the animal with a stick when it suddenly came towards himCredit: Jamie Pyatt News Ltd

The beast soon clamped its jaws around his waist and groin areaCredit: Jamie Pyatt News Ltd

Panic ensued as the man was dragged away and a second crocodile joined the attackCredit: Jamie Pyatt News Ltd

However, the shocked crocodile handler had poked the creature with a stick while it was in the buckle, causing it to turn its head and take a bite.

But panic soon set in when the man-eating Nile crocodile – the largest living reptile with the most powerful bite force in the world – wouldn’t let go.

After locking its jaws on the man just below his waist, he quickly pulled him to the ground before a second, slightly smaller crocodile joined the attack.

Tourists began screaming for help before the beast finally released its grip, allowing the zookeeper to get up and run to safety.

A pool of blood could be seen on the floor of the enclosure at the attraction in Ballito, Kwa-Zulu Natal province, just north of Durban, when the zookeeper was rushed to Victoria Hospital for emergency stitches.

A crocodile expert, who asked not to be named but viewed the footage, said: “The crocodile was just giving him a warning. If he wanted to kill him, believe me, he easily could have.

“What he was extremely lucky with is that the second crocodile that rushed in didn’t bite him, as if it had, they could have fought over him in a tug-of-war and torn him apart.

“It looks like it was the handler’s lucky day and this crocodile was a bit grumpy,” she said.

The South Africa Response Unit, which provides 24-hour security and medical assistance, arrived on scene to find that staff had already wheeled the handler away for emergency treatment.

A worker told them: “He had a serious injury to his right leg, near his genitals. If another inch had gone over, his future demonstrations might have been a little high!”.

Horror moment man, 36, beaten to death by 1,500lb crocodile after dragging him into river as his stunned wife and brother watched as he screamed for help, after hours half-eaten corpse was pulled out by rescuers

In September 2022, Crocodile Creek handler Sean Le Clus was also attacked while on the back of their main attraction Hannibal – a huge 5 meter long Nile crocodile.

Sean had gotten off the back of the giant crocodile when a female approached, but the animal snapped its jaws and destroyed his leg.

Fortunately, the crocodile also released Sean, who screamed in pain as he limped away to get medical attention for some deep teeth marks in his leg – before returning to work the same day.

It is not known whether the final attack was also carried out by Hannibal.

A spokesperson for Crocodile Creek said: “While I am pleased the employee escaped and is currently stable, we are concerned about the breach of protocols at the time.

“If anyone enters the pond to give a demonstration, we require another employee to be with them to monitor the situation and provide assistance if necessary,” he said.

Nile crocodiles can grow up to 25 feet and reach speeds of more than 20 mph (32 km/h) both in and out of the water.

Weighing up to 2,000 pounds, they are primarily ambush predators and responsible for killing thousands of people each year.

Last week, father-of-three Anthony Joubuert, 37, was fishing in a dam 360 miles away in Middelburg when a crocodile charged at him.

Despite being in just a few inches of water, Anthony was flattened before the crocodile swallowed both his legs up to his waist and tried to drag him into deep water.

But Anthony’s owner, Johan, grabbed his leash and started a tug-of-war with the animal, before his wife, Annalize, 33, grabbed a tree root and hit the 4-metre-long beast over the head until its leg came loose.

Nile crocodile fact file

Africa’s largest crocodile is even scarier than you think.

The Nile crocodile can reach a maximum size of about 20 feet and weigh up to 1,650 pounds.
They live throughout sub-Saharan Africa and inhabit rivers, freshwater swamps and mangrove swamps.
The bite of the Nile crocodile can exert a force eight times more powerful than that of a great white shark.
While they mainly feast on fish, the largest Nile crocodiles eat wildebeest, small hippos, buffalo and other large animals.
But that diet often extends to humans, with about 200 people killed each year in the jaws of a Nile crocodile.
Nile crocodiles have a reputation for being fearsome and aggressive, a perspective underscored each year by hundreds of documented attacks on people and livestock.
Most attacks on people take place at the water’s edge, where people wash their clothes, board and disembark from fishing boats, or walk along the coast.