A British tourist has captured on video the horrifying moment her friend got bitten by a crocodile while on holiday in Australia.

Ally Bullifent filmed the moment her friend Leah got bitten in the leg by a saltwater crocodile. The reptile was thought to be between 2 and 2.5 metres long.

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It leapt out of the water while the women were looking at mudskippers in a creek at Cape Tribulation in north Queensland.

The lacerations to Leah's thigh were relatively minor. She was taken to hospital but discharged overnight.

Bullifent, from Wiltshire, posted the short clip and a photo of her friend's bleeding leg on Facebook with the caption: "Leah gets bitten by a croc @ Cape Tribulation." Since it was posted on 27 November, it has been shared 3,000 times and received more than 1,300 comments.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection told ABC News in Australia that a tourist had been attacked at a creek in Cape Tribulation. It added that it would be looking at removing the crocodile after a site assessment by wildlife officers.

The area is in Zone E of the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan, which means crocodiles displaying dangerous behaviour will be removed.

Kennedy MP Bob Katter told ABC: "Our proposition is total removal from more populated areas which means from Mackay to Port Douglas. The Daintree is a mixed bag ... [there we need] a removal programme but not a total removal programme."

'Be crocwise' advice from Northern Territory Government in Australia:

  • Never swim in water where crocodiles may live - even if there is no warning sign.
  • Only swim in signed areas.
  • Obey all warning signs - they are there to keep you safe.
  • Always keep a lookout.
  • Stay well back from crocodile tracks - one may be nearby.
  • Never provoke, harass or interfere with crocodiles. Even small ones.
  • Never feed crocodiles - it is illegal and dangerous.
  • Do not interfere with crocodile traps.
  • Be extra careful around water at night.
  • Be extra careful during the crocodile breeding season, from September to April.
  • Avoid going near the edge of the water. Do not paddle or wade in the water.
Australia