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A Bronx Zoo wild animal keeper was hospitalized Sunday afternoon after being bitten by a crocodile while working in the reptile’s enclosure. The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. as the keeper was cleaning the space when the crocodile bit his left forearm.
According to a statement from the Bronx Zoo, the animal involved was a tomistoma, also known as a Malayan gharial, a freshwater crocodilian native to Malaysia and Indonesia. The zoo confirmed the bite was minor, did not require stitches, and the keeper was treated and released from St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition.
The New York Police Department identified the employee as a 38-year-old man. They responded to a 911 call shortly after the incident and clarified that the keeper was feeding the crocodile when the bite occurred. EMS transported the man to the hospital, and the investigation into the event is ongoing.
This marks the first recorded animal bite incident at the Bronx Zoo in 2023. Previous notable incidents include a visitor being bitten by a peacock earlier this year and a serious mauling of a visitor by a Siberian tiger in 2012.
The attack also echoes a similar event overseas, where a tourist in the Philippines was seriously injured after climbing into a crocodile enclosure to take a selfie, mistaking the live reptile for a fake one. That incident drew international attention as the man was trapped inside the enclosure for 30 minutes before being rescued.
The Bronx Zoo and local authorities continue to review safety protocols to prevent future accidents involving both staff and visitors.