Vets make shocking discovery inside crocodile's stomach

Vets have made an “odd” find in the belly of a 150-kilogram crocodile.

Anuket, a resident of St Augustine Farm Zoological Park, was taken to University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine on February 5.

Witnesses had seen Anuket swallow a shoe which fell from a zip-liner before regurgitating it and eating it again.

But vets struggled to remove the shoe from the croc’s stomach.

“Previous efforts to flush out her sneaker at the farm and at UF had been unsuccessful,” the university wrote on Facebook.

“During her most recent visit to UF, zoo medicine resident Garrett Fraess initially attempted to remove the shoe by reaching his arm up and through the crocodile’s oesophagus but was unsuccessful.”

Dr Adam Biedrzycki, a large animal surgeon, and Dr Fraess tried using an incision to pull the shoe out through the oesophagus from the stomach but that didn’t work either.

“Dr Biedrzycki then performed a gastrotomy which allowed easier access to the crocodile’s stomach. Within a short time, he was able to remove the shoe,” the uni wrote.

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Anuket has since returned home and is doing well.

Viewers confounded by croc's hunger for shoes

On Facebook, people marvelled at the crocodile’s appetite for footwear.

“Odd craving but each to their own,” one man wrote.

Others jokingly questioned if the animal swallowed a Croc shoe.

However, some only had one suggestion.

“Maybe they should rethink the zip lining over the crocodiles,” one woman wrote.

One of St Augustine Farm Zoological Park's attractions is its zip-line which goes over the crocodile enclosure.

"Across seven acres on two challenging courses, you’ll see live alligators and crocodiles right under your toes, tropical birds at eye level, and red-ruffed lemurs nearly at arm’s length," a description on the park's site reads.

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