Elvis, a saltwater crocodile, injures a trainee during dental treatment

A saltwater crocodile's dental treatment at an Australian park almost turned out to be a tragedy. The beast struggled fiercely, injuring one of the five trainers who immobilized it.

Elvis, a half-ton saltwater crocodile, gave keepers a tough time at the Australian Reptile Park near Sydney. Suffering from a jaw infection, the animal was immobilized for surgery this week. But not everything went as planned, as shown in a video released by the park on Wednesday, April 10.

After removing the nearly five-meter-long animal from the water, keepers place a wedge between its jaws to hold it open and take X-rays.

“serious danger”

All that remained was to completely immobilize Elvis for the duration of the procedure. There was no other solution than to climb over him. “That's because if we jump on him, we don't put him to sleep completely and knock him out. That's the only way to control an animal of this size,” explains Billy Collette, director of park operations. Video.

“A muscle relaxant was given instead of anesthesia because it was safe for the large reptile but too dangerous for the keepers,” the Australian media underlined. news.com.

The accumulated seven healers were not enough. As shown in a video from the Australian Reptile Park, the reptile fought hard and flew away with a wedge blocking its jaws.

“The jaw of the tree came loose and came flying and hit me in the side of the head. At that moment, I knew I had to get out of there. My team and I were in serious danger,” explains Billy Collett. .

The trainers retreated before a second, successful attempt, especially thanks to the injection of a new dose of relaxer. Elvis eventually had a tooth removed and his health improved.

“I'm very grateful to the team that they acted as quickly as they did and that we all got out in one piece,” a relieved Billy Collette told News.com.