Crocodile Discovers Phones Do Not Make For A Healthy Meal!

14-year old Gena was enjoying a quiet day at Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Aquarium, lazing around with the three other crocodiles and getting out of the water every now and again, to impress the gawking visitors. However, what happened next, is something the poor crocodile will never forget.

One of the visitors, Rimma Golovko, happened to be admiring Gena when he decided to show off his massive teeth. Hoping to catch an impressive shot of Gena's big mouth, Ms. Golovko stretched out her arm with a Nokia phone in hand - To her horror, the phone slipped and plonked into the water right next to Gena, who immediately swallowed it up!

The story was so unreal that the officials did not believe Rimma until they heard the phone ringing inside Gena's stomach. However, given that the mighty crocodile can digest buffalos, cattle and even humans should they come across one, they were not too concerned.

Turns out, they were totally wrong. It's four weeks and counting since the incident and Gena, still weighed down by the phone, is refusing to eat, drink or even play with his three mates. Instead, he lies around lethargic and unable to even swim. To help him out, aquarium officials have tried tempting him with treats like live quail, injected with laxatives and vitamins. But, the African crocodile refuses to even look at them.

If Gena continues to avoid food for another week and is unable to pass the phone out naturally, the veterinarian plans to take an X-Ray to pin down the exact location. He is however, reluctant to perform surgery, since the incision and stitches will take at least three weeks to heal and could be dangerous for Gena.

Meanwhile, the phone keeps ringing inside poor Gena's body startling him even more, and while its apologetic owner has given up all hope to get it back intact, she is optimistic about retrieving at least the SIM card, which holds all her valuable contacts and numbers - We sure hope it works out for both of them!

Resources:telegraph.co.uk,latimesblogs.latimes.com