Locals are feeding crocodiles that have been left going hungry at a zoo that closed during the pandemic in Thailand.

Footage shows visitor Praew Rattikan throwing scraps of raw meat for the hungry reptiles at Phuket Crocodile World on July 21.

She said: 'I feel very sad for the crocodiles. They look sickly. Nobody even comes here and there's only one man watching over the place.

'He used to work here. He now sells chicken for visitors to feed to the crocodile as the farm no longer provide them with anything to eat.'

Local officials and the park owner have denied claims the animals have been abandoned.

Phuket Fisheries officer Sittiphon Muangsong conducted an inspection on July 7, and said the 28 crocodiles in the venue were 'not suffering in health.'

He added: 'We can see they are not thin.'

Owner Sakul Nganwiwatthaworn said he and his staff are in constant touch with the Department of Fisheries, with officers reportedly often visiting and bringing food.

He said: 'The crocodiles are always fed and taken care of, but people come to see the state of the place and think of it as abandoned. We actually feed them regularly and frequently change the water.'

The Phuket Crocodile World, a privately owned business, closed at the start of the pandemic. While some animals have been sold and moved to other zoos, a number of creatures still remain at the crumbling facility.