A fearless man was caught on camera prodding a nearly two-metre-long crocodile with a palm frond in a bid to save a cat.
The flabbergasting footage, filmed through a car windscreen, shows the intrepid pedestrian striking the enormous reptile at close range.
Dressed in a sleeveless T-shirt, shorts and trainers, he could be seen circling the crocodile as it sat at the roadside.
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He also appeared to tug at a fence the reptile had its snout pressed against, in an attempt to make it release the feline trapped between its jaws.
Unfortunately, he was unable to stop the cat from being devoured, though he himself emerged from the encounter unscathed, as reported by Need To Know.
The clip was filmed in Cancún, Mexico, and recently did the rounds online, prompting Civil Protection officers and firefighters to carry out precautionary patrols in the area.
Crocodile sightings are reportedly common locally due to the proximity of homes to bodies of water and mangrove zones.
Authorities warn members of the public against intervening in such situations and urge them to call 911 instead.
Online, one viewer asked: “Why do men live less?”
Another joked: “Good episode of ‘1000 Ways to Die’.”
A third remarked: “Either you’re very brave or you’re very thoughtful — I think you wanted to be the crocodile’s lunch.”
And a fourth wrote: “Poor little kitten.”
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