Does that crocodile have her own ringtone? Nope, that’s just 14-year-old Gena who swallowed a visitor’s cell phone over the weekend in a Ukranian aquarium.
Rimma Golovko, reported to be a single mother in her 20s, was trying to photograph the beautiful aquatic creature with her phone when she accidentally dropped it in the tank.
The croc swallowed the device whole. When Golovko told workers at the aquarium, they didn’t believe her. But then something funny happened. Gena started ringing.
Since the incident, Gena hasn’t eaten anything. She also hasn’t been able to expel any waste. And experts are at a loss as to what to do.
“We don’t have much experience working with such large animals,” said the chief veterinarian in Dnipropetrovsk, the Ukranian city where the aquarium is located. The animal will be taken in for an X-ray next week if she continues to refuse food.
Aquarium officials said surgically removing the phone would be a last resort. If it comes to that, it could take a month for the crocodile to recover. Performing surgery on reptiles is especially dangerous.
As for Golovko, she isn’t expecting to get her phone back in working condition, but does hope that once the device is retrieved she might be able to get her SIM card.
In the meantime, if you know Rimma Golovko and tried calling her this weekend, don’t be offended that she wasn’t picking up your calls.
