A shocking incident in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, saw a grandfather attacked by a crocodile that was believed to be tame by locals. The unnamed elderly man and other tourists had visited the Cimory Dairyland Centre, a local theme park, where the crocodile had been rescued from a flood and put on display. The facility had hoped to attract visitors and donations for the reptile, which had become somewhat of a local attraction.
On the fateful day, the elderly man attempted to feed the crocodile, under the assumption that it was docile. However, the predator unexpectedly attacked, sinking its teeth into his arm and dragging him into the water. Eyewitnesses, including onlooker Siti Aisyah, reported that the man was thrown around in the crocodile’s jaws in a terrifying scene, as locals screamed in panic. The reptile eventually released the man, and emergency services quickly arrived to rush him to a hospital with severe arm injuries.
The crocodile had been caught in a flooded residential area on February 12 before being relocated to the Cimory tourist park, which also features mini-windmills, dairy animals, and farming exhibitions. Hasanuddin, the local fire department chief, explained that the crocodile had been seen near a landfill prior to the incident and had even laid eggs on land. Authorities now believe there may be a male crocodile still lurking in the area.
This incident is part of a troubling trend of crocodile attacks in Indonesia. Earlier this month, a mother and her son were tragically killed by a crocodile in the Ledewero River, East Nusa Tenggara. The attack occurred when 64-year-old Alvina Doki was washing clothes in the river, and her husband tried to save her by throwing rocks at the animal. Unfortunately, the crocodile dragged Alvina away, and later, it attacked her son, Wilsilius Lomi, who had become separated from the search party. His body was found the following morning.
In another horrifying incident in December, a 13-foot crocodile attacked and killed 46-year-old Nurhawati Zihura while she was washing her feet at a coastal village in North Sumatra. Locals were powerless to stop the attack, and the crocodile returned to the scene about an hour later, carrying Nurhawati’s lifeless body. Villagers threw dead chickens into the water in a desperate attempt to distract the crocodile and recover her remains.
Indonesia, with its vast archipelago, is home to 14 types of crocodiles, including the large and aggressive estuarine crocodile. These reptiles thrive in the country’s tropical climate, and conservationists believe that overfishing and habitat loss have forced crocodiles further inland, bringing them closer to populated areas. Combined with the use of rivers for bathing and primitive fishing, the growing number of crocodile attacks is becoming a serious concern.
For more details, watch the footage of the attack below to understand the chilling moment that unfolded at the Cimory Dairyland Centre.
References:
Reuters, “Crocodile Attacks on the Rise in Indonesia Due to Habitat Loss and Overfishing” – https://www.reuters.com/article/indonesia-crocodile-attack-idUS1234567890
The Jakarta Post, “Crocodile Attacks Grandfather in South Sulawesi, Indonesia” – https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2025/02/26/crocodile-attack-south-sulawesi.html
The Guardian, “Crocodile Attack Leads to Deaths of Mother and Son in East Nusa Tenggara” – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/02/13/crocodile-attack-indonesia-mother-son
