Tourist brutally attacked by crocodile after climbing into enclosure to take selfie with it

A man visiting a zoo in the Philippines climbed into a crocodile enclosure to take a selfie with the animal and ended up getting attacked by the croc as a result.

The tourist, 29, supposedly mistook the very real reptile for a statue during his visit to the zoo on 28 April, and clambered over a fence and waded through water to get close to the crocodile before pulling out his phone for a selfie.

Crowds of onlookers shouted at the man to get back out of the enclosure but he didn't listen and as he got closer the 15ft long death machine, named Lalay, went for him.

The crocodile's jaws snapped into his arm, with the man screaming in pain as Lalay's teeth sunk into his flesh.

She would not let him try to escape, next sinking her teeth into his thigh and flipping him over several times as she attempted to subject the tourist to the terrifying 'death roll'.

The tourist claimed he thought the crocodile was a statue because it wasn't moving, so climbed in for a selfie (ViralPress)

The tourist reportedly spent up to 30 minutes trapped in the enclosure with the crocodile at Kabug Mangrove Park and Wetlands zoo, and was only able to get out when the animal handler showed up to rescue him.

The handler is said to have slammed Lalay the crocodile over the head with a piece of cement, which helped free the tourist from her snapping jaws.

He was then given medical treatment as he had bleeding wounds and was taken to hospital where he received more than 50 stitches.

In a statement on behalf of Siay Municipal Police, Staff Sergeant Joel Sajolga said: "The tourist was walking around the area, then he saw the crocodile, which he thought was just a plastic fixture.

"He climbed the fence and entered the enclosure, and the crocodile attacked him.

"This kind of behaviour is very dangerous. Nobody should ever enter an animal's enclosure at the zoo. He put other people's lives at risk and he is very lucky to have survived."

The crocodile bit him several times and tried to death roll the man, who was rushed to hospital afterwards (ViralPress)

Police added that there were a number of zookeepers present, but they did not stop the 29-year-old from getting over the fence and trying to take a selfie with the reptile.

Those who saw the man jumping into the enclosure are glad he survived his ordeal, but said they 'don't know why he would do such a stupid thing'.

Onlooker Canete Jie said they were 'glad the man is alive and the crocodile just let him go', adding that the tourist's legs weren't broken while he was being attacked by the crocodile.

Locals who recorded the reckless stunt said the man waded through the shallow pool to pose alongside the reptile for pictures. He is understood to have mistaken Lalay for a life-size model due to how still she was.