Video: Photographer almost gets eaten by crocodile

A photographer taking pictures of crocodiles on a riverbank in Costa Rica got a little too close for comfort last week - and almost got eaten as a result. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO.

The man, who is named only as Antonio, crouched in long grass as his friends threw scraps of meat to the crocodiles to encourage them to come closer.

But he was so focused on taking pictures of one particular crocodile that he failed to spot another one right beside it - until it lunged out of the water towards him.

Although his friends tried to shout and warn him, he ignored them - but luckily he managed to scramble up the riverbank just in time.

The entire incident, which took place under Tarcoles Bridge, in Rio Tarcoles, was filmed by one of his friends and posted on YouTube.

However, viewers have been quick to criticise Antonio for getting so close to the crocs in the first place.

One wrote: "Is he stupid? Bigger lens can do the job from far away."

Another added: "It's not living on the edge. It's not brave, it's just plain stupid. NO ONE would be laughing if the crocs had grabbed him."

His friend David Clow, who posted the video, then stepped in to defend him, saying: "It's called living on the edge, not being dumb. It is called guts, not stupidity. Not everyone can afford a huge lens, eh.

"My friend, Antonio, may have a death wish, and he may be a little crazy, but he is not stupid. He is a hard dude. I wanted to be down there. Like he says in the video, everyone made it worse yelling. He knows how to behave around them. Try not to be too mean, people."

See below for footage of the incident...

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