Nile crocodile enters restaurant in Zimbabwe, leaving diners stunned
What are diners to do when a crocodile walks into a restaurant, leaps onto a counter, strolls into the kitchen, flops onto a couch, then freshens up in a water feature? Find out what happened
READING LEVEL: GREEN
It sounds like a Roald Dahl story or the start of a “dad joke” but a hungry crocodile has walked straight into a restaurant and mounted a kitchen counter as surprised diners watched on.
Video footage caught the 3.6m beast strolling inside an award-winning venue in Zimbabwe.
In the reel, guests can be seen quickly scrambling to safety as chaos erupted on Friday.
The camera footage begins with the predator* slowly walking across the lobby towards the staff area.
The crocodile then manages to launch its front legs onto a kitchen counter and pull itself up.
The Nile crocodile’s hind legs appeared to struggle to find grip as the animal’s tail swayed against the floor.
Once its body lay flat on the countertop, the croc remained still as the camera zoomed in.
The beast eventually slid back down and made itself at home on one of the lounge sofas.
Rangers and wildlife experts from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority raced to A’Zambezi River Lodge to capture the scaly, would-be diner, who did not have a restaurant booking.
The ZimParks team tried to guide the croc back to the River Zambezi but it was having none of it. It reportedly settled into a water feature at the front of the lodge before the team was able to rope it.
Guest John Richards, from Portsmouth in the UK, said staff and security ensured everyone was safe.
“All these rangers and wildlife guys turned up with ropes and canvases and managed to grab it and tie it up and then carried it away,” he said.
ZimParks spokesman Luckmore Safuli said the Nile crocodile was safely immobilised*, removed and released back into the Zambezi River.
“There were no human injuries or damage to the property,” he said.
“It is not unusual for the crocodiles to move up onto dry land, especially as this incident happened within the species’ natural range and habitat*.”
Hotel spokesperson Pride Khumbula said guests were excited by the rare occurrence.
“The lodge’s proximity to wildlife is not accidental but intrinsic* to its identity and set within a protected landscape that celebrates coexistence* rather than separation,” she said.
“The A’Zambezi River Lodge regularly experiences sightings of animals such as hippos, elephants, warthogs, and monkeys in the grounds and along the riverbanks which makes it such a sought-after destination.
“Importantly, this is not the first time wildlife has entered the vicinity, and our experienced team is well-trained to respond appropriately and effectively in such situations as happened here.
“In Zimbabwe nature is not merely observed but lived alongside in all its untamed beauty. It is this authenticity and intimate connection with the natural world that is at the very heart of Zimbabwe tourism.”
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GLOSSARY
- predator: an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals
- immobilised: prevented from moving
- habitat: the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually live
- intrinsic: essential, basic to a thing, being an important part of making it what it is
- coexistence: living or existing together at the same time or in the same place
EXTRA READING
Snappy swimmers take to the pool
Wait, what? You can keep a croc?!
QUICK QUIZ
- Which crocodile species has the starring role in this story?
- In which African nation did the incident take place?
- Hotel spokesperson Pride Khumbula names which other animals as regular lodge guests?
- What does Ms Khumbula suggests lies “at the very heart of Zimbabwe tourism”?
- What was the estimated length of the crocodile?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What would you change?
Create an action or emergency plan for staff in any workplace. The purpose of your plan is to help them know what to do if they find a crocodile in their workplace. Use pictures or diagrams if you want.
Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Communication Design
2. Extension
Create a four-page picture book story based on the adventures of this crocodile. Your storybook is for kindergarten kids.
Time: allow at least 60 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Media Studies, Visual Communication Design
VCOP ACTIVITY
Animal alliterations
With a partner, choose a picture from the article.
Make a list of nouns you could use to name the animal in the picture. For example, instead of a tiger, you could also say cat, or feline.
Pick your favourite noun and identify its initial sound — what sound it starts with, not necessarily what letter.
Now, using the initial sound, make a list of adjectives to describe the animal. Try to be specific. Don’t just look at the animal as a whole, look at their different features as well.
Build on these same sound words, and add any verbs and adverbs you could use to describe the animal and their movements.
Try to put it all together and use as many same sound words in a sentence, to create an alliteration about the animal in the picture. For example: the terrifying tiger, tiptoed through tangled trees chasing his prey.