A wildlife worker has died after a crocodile attack at Adventure Park in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Saturday, September 5. The man, whose name has not been released, was inside a crocodile enclosure when the incident occurred. He was taken to 3 Mile General Hospital but succumbed to his injuries at around 7am on Sunday, September 6.
Attack details and eyewitness account
Harrowing video footage shared on social media shows the worker clinging to the pool's edge while bystanders tried to help. The crocodile had its jaws locked around the man's legs, and someone reached a pole towards him through the enclosure's fencing. Another person supported the worker from the pool's side as onlookers gathered.
Eyewitness Gibson John told the ABC that the man was attacked while attempting to feed the crocodile. "He brought the chicken to the fence and the crocodile attacked the person and tried to bring him into the pool," Mr John said. "We couldn't assist at that time, [but] I managed to contact the St John's Ambulance."
Prolonged ordeal and emergency response
Mr John said the crocodile held the man's legs in its jaws for over an hour before emergency services arrived. "The security guards had no guns, but gave him a small iron rod to use until the police and St John's Ambulance came," he said. "He was in severe pain but he couldn't scream. He couldn't speak properly at that time. It was the pain I could see from his eyes. The only thing I could hear him say was, 'I haven't done anything wrong'."
Mr John later learned that the man, originally from the Western Islands in northern Papua New Guinea, had lost a leg before being rushed to hospital. "I've never seen something like this before. I couldn't believe what I saw," he expressed.
Park closure and aftermath
The handler had reportedly been working at the park for around two years. The park has been indefinitely closed, and colleagues who witnessed the incident are said to be gathering at a funeral home following the worker's death. Police reportedly shot the crocodile dead to save the man, although both of his legs were bitten off, according to social media posts.
