A little girl was left with a nasty gash in her hand after lowering her arm into a crocodile tank and getting bitten.
CCTV footage shows the moment curiosity got the better of the nine-year-old and she dipped her hand into the enclosure.
As she waved it around, the reptile suddenly pounced and clamped it tightly between its jaws.
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The girl flinched and the croc let go a second later, falling back into the tank as the youngster recoiled in pain.
The girl was treated for a bloody gash in her hand after the scare at the Cute Beast Reptile Exhibition, in Shenzhen, China.
Her mother claimed that before entering the venue, she had asked staff if kids needed to be accompanied by an adult.
She was allegedly told “No”, so she allowed her daughter to explore the exhibition alone.
She is now criticising the organisers, arguing that the open-topped tanks posed a danger for children, given the Crocs’ jumping abilities.
She has demanded compensation, but the organisers have only offered to reimburse her daughter’s medical expenses.
They say warning signs were on display and argue that if she hadn’t put her hand in the tank, the croc wouldn’t have bitten her.
A legal expert told local media that both parties bear responsibility.
They said the organisers should have put physical barriers in place and had staff present to supervise visitors.
And they added that the girl’s parents should have been watching her.
The venue says it has since put additional safety measures in place, as reported by Need To Know.
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