By Agencies

VICTORIA FALLS: Diners at a hotel in the resort town were recently shocked as a hungry crocodile walked straight into a restaurant and mounted a kitchen counter in search of food.

Video footage shows the 12ft beast saunter inside an award-winning venue in Zimbabwe.

Guests can be seen scrambling to find places to hide as they watched the croc wreak havoc last Friday.

The shaky camera footage begins as the predator slowly walks over the lobby floor towards the staff area.

It manages to launch its front legs onto a kitchen counter and pull itself up.

The Nile crocodile’s hind legs struggle to find grip as its tail sways against the ground.

Once its body is flat on top of the counter the croc remains still as the camera moves closer to film it.

The beast eventually slid back down and settled on one of the lounge sofas.

Rangers and wildlife experts from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority raced to A’Zambezi River Lodge to capture the scaly gatecrasher.

The ZimParks team tried to guide the croc back to the River Zambezi but the it was having none of it.

It reportedly settled in a water feature at the front of the lodge for a while before the team was able to rope it.

John Richards from Portsmouth said staff and security made sure everyone was safe.

“All these rangers and wildlife guy turned up with ropes and canvases and managed to grab it and tie it up and then carried it away,” he said.

ZimParks spokesman Luckmore Safuli said the Nile crocodile was safely immobilised, taken away and released back into the Zambezi River.

“There were no human injuries or damage to the property,” he said.

“It is not unusual for the crocodiles to move up onto dry land especially as this incident happened within the species’ natural range and habitat.”

Hotel spokesperson Pride Khumbula said guests were initially excited by the rare occurrence.

“The lodge’s proximity to wildlife is not accidental but intrinsic to its identity and set within a protected landscape that celebrates coexistence rather than separation,” she said.

“The A’Zambezi River Lodge regularly experiences sightings of animals such as hippos, elephants, warthogs, and monkeys in the grounds and along the riverbanks which makes it such a sought-after destination.

“Importantly, this is not the first time wildlife has entered the vicinity, and our experienced team is well-trained to respond appropriately and effectively in such situations as happened here.

“In Zimbabwe nature is not merely observed but lived alongside in all its untamed beauty.  It is this authenticity and intimate connection with the natural world that is at the very heart of Zimbabwe tourism.”

Nile crocodiles are the largest and most feared predators in Africa and can grow to 20 feet long and weigh up to 1 ton.

They can run up to 20mph and kill an estimated 1100 people a year, often terrorising remote villages.