THIS is the terrifying moment an angry crocodile gets revenge on the idiot that pulled its tail.

Security guard Simson Paulus, 41, was attacked by the croc after he ignored warnings to leave the 10ft beast alone in the Omusati region of Namibia.

In the heart-stopping video, Paulus can be seen pulling at the crocodile’s tail and then resting his hands on its back as it lies injured in shallow water.

But in an instant the angry crocodile whips its head round and grabs the hapless goader with its sharp, 5-inch jaws by the left arm.

Onlookers can be heard screaming in terror.

The crocodile was reportedly injured, having being hit by a taxi as it crossed the road earlier that day.

People pulled at the animal’s tail and kicked at it to check if it was alive, according to regional councillor Festus Petrus.

Petrus commented on the incident: “He [Paulus] was warned to leave the crocodile alone, as he could be attacked. He did not listen.

“There was a huge whoosh of water as its head ripped round and it attacked.

“Within the blink of an eye, we heard people screaming and the man’s arm was already in the crocodile’s mouth.”

Luckily, the crocodile released Paulus, who was left with blood pouring from numerous tooth wounds.

Crocodiles of that size can have teeth up to five inches long and it could easily have dragged him into the water for afternoon lunch.

“It was the luckiest day of his life that it didn’t pull him into deeper water and eat him but it let go and the man ran as if for his life,” Petrus said.

“The crocodile did not chase him but as it later turned out it has been hit by a taxi while crossing the road and had been badly injured.

“If it was not for that fact then that man would not be alive.”

The crocodile was euthanised shortly after by decision of officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and a vet who assessed the crocodile’s road injuries.

”It would have died slowly if it was not killed,” said Petrus.

Security guard Paulus remains in a stable condition after he had dozens of stitches at the Outapi Hospital.

Following his life-threatening manoeuvre, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism spokesman, Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, warned the public against provoking crocodiles.

Hamunyela said: “It goes against the policy on human-wildlife management, and the public should not ever touch wildlife especially predators.

“If left undisturbed, the crocodile, even after the vehicle collision, would likely not have posed an immediate threat to members of the public.

“They should always contact the proper authorities for assistance in capturing wild animals instead of approaching and touching them.”

The Nile Crocodile kills around 1,000 people a year in Africa.

The ambush predator can lie in wait for weeks for its prey and once its jaws snap shut it is impossible to prise them open again.

This comes after footage captured the moment a huge crocodile paraded a dead body in its jaws after killing a swimmer.

The victim was 51-year-old Sadarwinata, who was mauled by the beast near Talise Beach in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia in late March.

Another crocodile attack left a seven-year-old boy fighting for his life after his arm was ripped off.

Johandre Blom was attacked while playing in the water just a few feet away from his parents, at the Roodekoppies Dam, located on Crocodile River in Brits, South Africa.

His parents were fishing in the river just moments before their son was attacked by the large reptile on March 21.