A popular tourist destination in northwest Cambodia is reeling after a toddler was eaten alive at a crocodile farm on July 1.
Rom Roath Neary, 2, wandered off on her family’s crocodile farm in the morning while her mother was occupied with caring for her newborn in Siem Reap city, 200 miles northwest of Phnom Penh.
By the time the father returned home at 10 a.m. local time he could not find Rom Roath anywhere around the house, Siem Reap Commune Police said, so he began looking behind the house where the made the grim discovery in the crocodile enclosure.
“He found a skull in the crocodile enclosure,” police Chief Lieutenant Och Sophen told the Khmer Times. “The small girl came to play around and fell in while her mother was busy taking care of another daughter, who had just been born.”
A two-year-old girl was killed by crocodiles on her family’s farm in Siem Reap province’s Siem Reap city today after she wondered off into the enclosure alone, police said. https://t.co/DLt47mEElv
— Khmer Times (@KhmerTimes) June 30, 2019
Although the family had already built a security fence around the farm, gaps in the perimeter were still large enough for children to squeeze through. The only remains police could use to identify Rom Roath was her skull.
“He confirmed that the daughter fell into the crocodile enclosure and that the crocodiles killed her, leaving only her skull,” Sophen said according to the Daily Mail.
Girl, two, is killed by crocodiles after wandering into their enclosure at her home in Cambodia https://t.co/pPUKa0tlmi
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) July 1, 2019
Siem Reap city Deputy Police Chief Captain Chem Chamnan had the heartbreaking task of identifying the victim.
“Her father only found her skull in the crocodile enclosure, where she was killed by crocodiles,” Chamnan said, according to the Daily Mirror.
Girl, 2, eaten by crocodiles after falling into enclosure behind her homehttps://t.co/HQDCkjzrON pic.twitter.com/5j9ew2BWn6
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) July 1, 2019
Crocodile farmer clambers into reptile pit to retrieve his two-year-old daughter’s skull after she wandered into their enclosure and was eaten alive Rom Roath Neary died after wandering… https://t.co/pVnUJW7Ozt
— Yinka Diamond (@ykdiamond13) July 1, 2019
When the mother learned the harrowing news, she grieved the death of her elder daughter.
“The mother hugged her daughter’s skull, shocked,” Sophen told the Khmer Times.
— Paul Kent (@kentpg) July 1, 2019
Police warned all crocodile farm operators to prevent other family members from suffering the same fate.
“We appeal to all families who have crocodile farms to pay attention to all family members, especially small children,” Sophen told the Khmer Times.
Crocodile farmer clambers into reptile pit to retrieve his two-year-old daughter’s skull after she wandered into their enclosure and was eaten alive.https://t.co/BiOCkheqlB
— Fidel Fidel (@fidman_143) July 1, 2019
A viral video of the father recovering the skull from the enclosure shocked many viewers who used social media to express their condolences while, at the same time, warning others about how dangerous crocodiles can be.
Cambodian child eaten after falling into crocodile enclosure https://t.co/mD3FWREjip
— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) July 1, 2019
