Man Killed by 40 Crocodiles After Falling Into Enclosure

A man has been killed and ripped apart by 40 crocodiles after he fell into their enclosure on a reptile farm.

The Cambodian man, named only as Nam in reports, of Po Banteay Chey village in Siem Reap, had been trying to transport a crocodile out of a cage as it had laid eggs when the incident occurred.

However, as he was maneuvering the crocodile with the help of a stick, the creature grabbed it with its jaws and pulled him into a pool that contained dozens of other snappers.

The crocodiles then attacked him, mauling his body to pieces, local media reported.

Crocodiles
A stock photo shows a crocodile emerging from water. A man was attacked and mauled by a group of 40 crocodiles in Cambodia. DianaLynne/Getty

"Then other crocodiles pounced, attacking him until he was dead," Mey Savry, police chief of Siem Reap commune, told news agency AFP.

The water in the enclosure turned red with Nam's blood.

The remains of the man's body were pulled from the enclosure and found with multiple bite marks.

One of the man's arms was missing, indicating it had been eaten by the crocodiles.

A photograph shared by local news outlet the Khmer Times shows a crocodile with a shoe in its jaws. Another shows a group of crocodiles surrounding the man's dead body.

It is not clear what exact species of crocodiles attacked the man but Cambodia is home to the Siamese crocodile. The crocodiles are medium-sized and usually live in saltwater environments. They are critically endangered however and gone from many regions.

Crocodile attacks on humans are incredibly rare, and the species do not usually eat humans, although the species can be territorial and will become agitated when provoked or threatened.

The victim reportedly owned the reptile farm and the crocodiles that attacked him.

Crocodiles—saltwater crucibles in particular— have the most powerful bite force of any animal.

Saltwater crocodiles are known for being the species with most aggressive tendencies. They also grow to be the largest.

While crocodiles do not typically eat humans, it is not completely unheard of.

At the beginning of May, the remains of a missing man in Australia was found inside a crocodile.

The man—65-year-old Kevin Darmody—was last seen at a popular saltwater habitat in northern Queensland.

A search was initiated for him, during which police killed two huge saltwater crocodiles. The two crocodiles measured 13.5 feet and 9 feet respectively.

Although his remains were only found in one of them, authorities believe both were involved in the hunt.

Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about crocodiles? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.

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