Bangkok (Web Desk): Inside a Thai national park A French tourist was bitten by a crocodile as she tried to get close to the fearsome animal to take a selfie, reported on Monday.
The event took place in a popular national park filled with dense jungle hiking trails and waterfalls three hours north of Bangkok known as ‘Khao Yai’, on Sunday afternoon,.
A park official said, “She wanted to take a selfie with the crocodile who was lying down near a stream.”
“It was startled and bit her on her on the leg.”
The official told that two crocodiles had made their home on that particular section of the park for years with warning signs laid out, further he added, “I guess that she wanted to see it for real.”
The pictures, posted by local media, of park rangers dressed in camouflage carrying the 47-year-old victim strapped to a stretcher, a thick bandage wrapped around her knee.
In another shot, a park ranger pointing to a pool of blood close to a sign saying in Thai and English “Danger Crocodile No Swimming”.
The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.
‘Siamese’ crocodiles were once omnipresent across South East Asia but their populations have been decimated in the last century by hunting and habitat loss.
On the IUCN’s red list currently they are listed as critically endangered.
In Thailand, there are just a handful of wild populations left in central and western national parks.
The majority tourists will only see them in crocodile parks, many of which have been criticised by animal rights groups for controversial feeding practices.