A four-year-old Israeli-Arab boy was bitten on his hand by a crocodile over the weekend while visiting the Crocoloco crocodile farm in the Arava in southern Israel.

MDA paramedics were called to the scene and provided emergency medical treatment before airlifting him by helicopter to Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva in serious condition, where he was rushed to the operating room.

Farm employees said that there are clear signs posted by the enclosure not to approach the fence and to keep a distance of one meter. A Channel 13 News report said that the boy had wandered away from his parents and reached his hand through the fence and one of the crocodiles bit his hand. Fortunately one of the crocodile trainers saw the incident and quickly extricated the boy. MDA paramedics arrived at the scene quickly and bandaged the boy’s hand with a tourniquet.

The hospital stated that the boy is in moderate to serious condition.

A police investigation into the circumstances of the incident has been opened and the farm owner has been summoned for questioning.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)