Performing crocodile 'injured by portly accountant' in Russian circus accident

The woman reportedly fell on the reptile after a freak accident with the travelling troupe

Dougie Thompson needed 200 stitches after the animal tore through muscle in his thigh and hip (Getty Images)

In a fight between a crocodile and an overweight accountant, there seems to be little doubt about who would win.

But when the unlikely situation came to pass in Russia on Tuesday, it was the dangerous reptile that fared the worst.

The Moscow Times reported that the performing crocodile was left with injuries after the accountant fell on it in northern Russia.

The accountant was travelling with the Soviet Circus from Murmansk to Severomorsk.

The two-metre-long crocodile had allegedly been lying on a blanket when the bus they were travelling on hit a pothole in the road.

After what the paper called "an unfortunate chain of events" the 19-stone woman was thrown into the crocodile.

Russian news agency RIA Novosti said the reptile was left vomiting for several hours afterwards and both it and the accountant sustained shock and minor injuries.

The crocodile, called Fedya, seemed to fare worse than the accountant although a medical examination found he was clear of any internal injuries.

Newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda reported that Fedya had to skip a performance scheduled for later in the evening but did not specify what skills the captive crocodile had.

The accountant, who was not named, was issued a reprimand for not wearing a seatbelt.

Exotic animals including tigers, lions and monkeys are used in Russian circuses, where there are no laws preventing them performing.