Crocodile Viciously Attacks Man Fishing At Lake, 'Tears His Leg Into Pieces'

A Nile Crocodile viciously attacked a man and “tore his leg into pieces” when he went fishing in a Zimbabwean lake at night, a case published in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine stated.

The unidentified 31-year-old man was attacked by the reptile from behind when he was trying to catch a fish. This was followed by a five-minute struggle during which the man suffered serious injuries. The man managed to escape and reached a hospital five hours later. Doctors said the man had suffered “significant tissue loss” and one of his fingers was bitten in half. He underwent an emergency surgery and the damaged flesh was cut off.

The crocodile reportedly approached him from behind and jumped on the man, attacking his right thigh. He fell into the water. The man held the snout of the crocodile and tried to open its jaws while his companion made some noises to distract the reptile. He was eventually released by the crocodile after "a three- to five-minute struggle."

"His companion called for help, and he was taken by boat to the National Parks office and from there to a district hospital, after which he was transferred to our institution,” the case report stated.

The man was discharged from the hospital and was doing well.