A 20-year veteran zookeeper was attacked Sunday morning by a crocodile he was caring for at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo.
The crocodile charged the 40-year-old zookeeper as he was caring for the animal. The reptile grabbed the keeper by the face and limbs and pulled the man into the water.
Crocodiles drag their prey underwater to drown them before eating them.
Workers at the zoo spotted the attack and helped rescue the zookeeper while a security guard shot the crocodile with stun bullets, according to a report by Israel’s KAN 11 News public broadcaster.
The crocodile later died, according to Ynet.
“We arrived at the crocodile enclosure, and members of staff brought a conscious 40-year-old male to us,” Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic Yisrael Polak related.
“We were told that he was attacked on his face and upper body by one of the crocodiles while working in the enclosure and was dragged into the water.
“He wrestled with it and was assisted by other members of staff who rescued him from the jaws of the crocodile.
“We provided life-saving treatment and evacuated him in serious condition. This was an unusual and difficult incident,” Polak added.
The zookeeper was taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center fully conscious with bite marks. He is listed in serious condition.
Jerusalem District Police are investigating the case, which has been classified as a “work accident.”
“The incident took place during routine activity and in a closed compound,” the Biblical Zoo management said in a statement.
“At no point was there any danger to the audience of visitors,” the management emphasized.
“We are investigating the incident and send our wishes for a speedy recovery to the zookeeper.”
For those who are wondering, alligators are dark colored with a broad, rounded snout and are usually found in fresh water, according to Sea World. The fourth tooth on either side of the jaw is hidden.
Crocodiles are grayish green, with a narrow, tapered triangular snout and prefer coastal, brackish and saltwater habitats. The fourth tooth is always exposed.
https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/reptiles/crocodiles-and-alligators/#:~:text=Alligators%20are%20dark%20colored%20with,narrow%2C%20tapered%2C%20triangular%20snout.
