Crocodile terrifies hotel guests after walking in 'like a paying guest' in search of food

Ed Griffiths
Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:35:58 +0000

A Nile crocodile left guests staying at a luxury hotel near Victoria Falls terrified as it climbed over the buffet counter on its way to the kitchen.

The predator, measuring four metres in length, emerged from the River Zambezi and entered the A'zambezi River Lodge in Zimbabwe.

After failing to gain access to the kitchen, the uninvited visitor eventually climbed onto the buffet counter.

Astonished guests at the four-star establishment captured videos and photographs of the remarkable scene.

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The incident drew immediate attention from hotel staff, who worked to keep tourists at a safe distance from the dangerous animal.

John Richards, a British tourist from Portsmouth, recounted the extraordinary encounter, explaining how waiters described the crocodile walking in "as if it was a paying guest".

He said: "Waiters told us how it had just walked in as if it was a paying guest and when it couldn't get a table enquired at the desk and finding nobody there, actually tried to climb over it to get into the kitchens."

Mr Richards described how the reptile subsequently moved to an armchair before making its way onto the outdoor decking area.

He told The Times: "Then it went to an armchair and lay on it and then sauntered out to the decking where all the tables are and with no grub on the menu settled down in a water feature out the front where it seemed happy."

Nile crocodiles rank among Africa's most formidable predators.

They can reach lengths of six metres, weighing up to a tonne, and sprint at speeds approaching 20mph.

These fearsome reptiles are responsible for approximately 1,100 human fatalities annually across the continent.

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Security personnel and hotel staff ensured guests maintained a safe distance while wildlife professionals were summoned to the scene.

Rangers from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority arrived equipped with ropes and canvases to secure the animal.

The team successfully restrained the crocodile, transported it off the premises, and released it safely back into the River Zambezi, with no injuries reported.

Luckmore Saful, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, confirmed the successful operation.

They said: "The Nile crocodile came from the nearby Zambezi and was safely immobilised by our personnel and taken away and safely released back into the Zambezi."

He noted such movements onto dry land are not uncommon given the lodge's location within the species' natural habitat.

Pride Khumbula, a hotel spokeswoman, emphasised the property's proximity to wildlife is central to its character, situated within a protected landscape that prioritises coexistence with nature.

She added staff are thoroughly trained to handle such situations, noting this was not the first wildlife encounter at the venue.