Visitors at Billabong Sanctuary in Queensland witness croc bite handler on arm at feeding show

Visitors to the Billabong Sanctuary in Queensland were watching a crocodile feeding show on Monday afternoon when the guests got the shock of their lives to see the reptile attempt to eat her handler for meal. Tipper, the 2.5-metre female croc, lunged and bit on the arm 25-year-old Renee Robertson.

Robertson, a spotter for the crocodile feeding show, was hospitalised and underwent surgery because of arm injuries. But it is not only the female Aussie ranger who needed medical attention. Eight members of the audience are also being treated for shock, reports Mashable.

Ross MacDonald, senior Queensland ambulance operations supervisor, says Robertson was fully conscious when the ambulance arrived. They gave her pain relief and intravenous fluid and then rushed her to Townsville hospital, reports The Guardian.

A visitor actually captured the attack on video which shows Tipper being hit by another sanctuary worker with a stick. Some viewers initially thought the attack was part of the show. Frank He, a visitor, recalls, “The screams you could hear were shocking. We felt so helpless for the poor woman in the enclosure,” quotes Courier Mail.

But the reptile will not be culled because of the incident. Bob Flemming, owner of the sanctuary, explains, “As Tipper is a crocodile, she’s certainly not going to be euthanised but we’ll review our training procedures and make sure it never happens again.”

ABC reports that because of the incident, Queensland workplace health and safety inspectors would check the sanctuary to investigate and interview the victim and other workers. Brad Cooper, curator of the sanctuary, adds that Robertson was in the middle of a six-month training working with reptiles.

“Her passion is mammals but we wouldn’t have pushed her through the training if we didn’t think she was capable,” Cooper points out. He says Robertson, until Monday’s accident, was very competent in dealing with female crocs and performing the spotting role in feeding shows, but she has not started training on male crocs.