A wildlife worker in Papua New Guinea has died following a fatal crocodile attack at Adventure Park in Port Moresby. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when the worker was feeding a crocodile inside an enclosure.
The crocodile reportedly clamped its jaws onto the worker's legs and performed a 'death roll,' a maneuver used by the reptiles to dismember prey, while horrified bystanders watched. Another worker and a bystander attempted to intervene, with one bystander extending a pole through the enclosure fence.
According to witness Koibuga Remdi, the crocodile held onto the man for approximately an hour. Emergency services were called, and as police arrived, park employees began pumping water out of the enclosure to facilitate a rescue. Remdi stated that the crocodile had been at the park since before Papua New Guinea's independence and had not previously attacked staff.
Police fired multiple rounds at the crocodile, with the animal succumbing after the eleventh shot. Following the crocodile's death, the injured worker was rescued and transported to 3 Mile General Hospital. He died from his injuries on Sunday morning.
Park visitor Gibson John recounted that the crocodile attacked the worker as he brought chicken to the fence, attempting to pull him into the pool. John described the worker as being in severe pain and barely able to speak, with his final audible words being, "I haven't done anything wrong."
The handler had reportedly been working at the park for about two years. The attack occurred months after videos circulated on social media showing park staff engaging in close interactions with crocodiles, including one instance where a worker sat on a crocodile's back and another where a worker touched a crocodile's nose while standing in front of its jaws.
Adventure Park remains closed indefinitely following the incident.