Zoo owner accidentally fed his thumb to crocodile during feeding demonstration

A zoo owner has lost his thumb after being bitten by a saltwater crocodile during a feeding demonstration near Childers in southern Queensland, Australia. Paramedics were called to the Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo at about 1pm on Sunday, a spokeswoman from the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) said. Ian Jenkins, 58, had been conducting a feeding show with the crocodile, Macca, for the visitors at the reptile park.



His wife Barbara said he miscalculated the croc's speed and was grabbed by the hand and dragged into the pond. "It is as simple as Macca took a swipe at him and actually connected," she said. "I do know his left hand is badly damaged ... we had another person in the enclosure - if it wasn't for her quick thinking getting the attention away from Ian it would have been worse."

RACQ Careflight spokesman Brian Russell said a helicopter was called out to the reptile park at about 1:30pm. "He had a chicken in one hand, and he was trying to get the attention of the crocodile with his hat, holding it in his left hand," Mr Russell said. "Unfortunately the crocodile has come up and bitten the hat and his hand and has unfortunately amputated his left thumb." QAS senior operations supervisor Martin Kelly confirmed Mr Jenkins had lost a thumb.



"The crocodile actually dragged the handler under the water," he said. "He suffered a significant hand injury and ... he also had a fairly sizeable laceration to his head." Mr Jenkins arrived at Bundaberg hospital about 2:00pm, where he remains in a stable condition. Doctors are assessing whether to fly him to Brisbane for plastic surgery. In 2010, Mr Jenkins survived being bitten by a venomous eastern brown snake at the zoo.

With news video.