KUALA TERENGGANU: A man faced a horrifying moment when a crocodile appeared out of nowhere and bit his right hand in a swampy area near Padang Papan in Manir near here, on Friday evening.
Che Man Zakaria, 61, who works as an inland fisherman said in the 7.25 pm incident, he was taking ablution using swamp water to perform the Maghrib prayer.
"While squatting to take ablution, a crocodile about two metres long suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bit my right hand. I fell into the swamp. Unaware, my friends asked why I jumped, I said I didn't jump but a crocodile had grabbed my hand," he said when met by reporters at his residence in Kampung Kebor Besar, Manir.
He added that the reptile disappeared into the swamp after biting his hand.
With his hand covered in blood, Che Man rode his motorcycle back to his house, located about five kilometres from the scene of the incident, to seek help from family members.
He then received treatment at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital here and received 12 stitches for the wound.
The father of 10 children said that he had previously encountered a crocodile in the swamp area, but the incident on Friday afternoon was the first time that the reptile had attacked him.
"I believe there are two or three more crocodiles in the area. Perhaps, these reptiles escaped from the Sungai Nerus during the floods in December last year," he said.– BERNAMA