Shock as crocodile turns on handler at South African wildlife park

Visitors to a South African wildlife attraction were shocked after a half-tonne crocodile turned on its handler.

The incident occurred at the Crocodile Creek farm and wildlife centre in KwaZulu Natal.

The attack by a 660kg Nile crocodile named Hannibal was filmed biting handler Sean le Clus in front of a stunned crowd.

The video from Crocodile Creek was first published to news site The South African and has since gone viral.

Moments before the attack, le Clus can be heard saying:

"This is the only crocodile in South Africa that I can sit on its back."

Calmly getting off the croc, the animal is seen turning an biting the handler on the left thigh, throwing him to the ground.

Getting off the ground, injured the handler can be heard over the sound of a crying child, asking the crowd to stop recording.

According to the attraction the incident occurred during a public show on 10 September, however they said the injuries were not serious.

In a statement to local media, the park said that le Clus suffered two puncture wounds and bruising to his left leg, but was back to work that day.

"Sean sewed up the holes himself and came back to work 20mins later," the park told The South African.

Handlers said that with every job there is a danger of injury, but this was a minor incident.

"Hannibal just reminded him that he was there. If Hannibal had done a proper bite, it would have been very bad."

At 78 years, the 4.8 metre-long reptile is relatively elderly but still has plenty of weight in his jaws.

This isn't the first such incident to have occurred at the park.

Owner Peter Watson was caught on camera by a documentary television crew, being bitten on the foot by a crocodile in one of the hatcheries.

"It shook me like a flippen leaf," he told news site IOS.

"If you get bitten around here, you get no sympathy," he said.

Sean le Clus recently has several injuries from close encounters with dangerous animals, many of which he has shared via social media. When asked why le Clus was missing two fingers from his right hand, the handler claimed that it was from a DIY accident on a table saw.

Crocodile Creek is home to over 9000 Nile crocodiles. As the largest crocodile farm in South Africa, the attraction also sells and exports crocodile skin.