Thai crocodile bites selfie-seeking French tourist in leg

A French tourist has been bitten by a crocodile in a Thai national park as whe tried to take a selfie with the beast. She was taken to hopsital and is expected to recover.

Muriel Benetulier (partially obscured) is tended to by Thai medics and Park Rangers at Khao Yai National Park AFP/Khao Yai National Park handout

The crocodile bit 47-year-old Muriel Benetulier on the leg when she ignored warning signs and approached it to take a selfie, park officials said.

The incident took place at the Khao Yai national park, three hours north of Bangkok.

Local media posted pictures of park rangers dressed in camouflage carrying the victim strapped to a stretcher, a thick bandage around her knee.

Another photo showed a ranger pointing to a pool of blood close to a sign saying in Thai and English "Danger Crocodile No Swimming".

Siamese crocodiles were once ubiquitous across South East Asia but their populations have been decimated in the last century by hunting and habitat loss.

They are currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN's red list.

In Thailand there are just a handful of wild populations left in central and western national parks.