Woman commits suicide by jumping into pit containing 1000 crocodiles

A 65-year-old woman from Bangkok killed herself by jumping into a pit of crocodiles at a zoo in the Thai capital, it has been reported. The woman, Wanpen Inyai, reportedly jumped into a pit with more than 1,000 crocodiles.

Bangkok Post reports that witnesses as well as CCTV footage showed her leaving her shoes on a walkway before jumping into the pit at the Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm & Zoo. The pit was up to three metres deep.

Police arrived at the scene to find zoo keepers and staff desperately trying to ward off dozens of crocodiles which were feasting on her body.

Officers said they were able to identify her after finding her healthcare card floating on the surface of the water.

Her death was later confirmed after DNA tests.

Earlier that day, her family had tried to file a missing person report after they discovered her disappearance, but they were reportedly told to wait for 24 hours. They said she was depressed before the incident.

Farm owner Uthen Youngprapakorn said staff had already installed extra fences and security measures along the walkway which the woman jumped from.

Describing her death as a 'force majeure', he expressed condolences to her family.

Her case was similar to that of a woman who killed herself in 2002 the same way at the same reptile farm, and another suicide reportedly took place a decade before that.

Founded in 1950, Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm & Zoo describes itself as the world's largest crocodile farm.

According to its website, the farm has more than 100,000 crocodiles over 300 acres and was created to help safeguard the animals from extinction.