Mr Colin Deveraux was trying to catch some fish in a pond when a 3.2m-long saltwater crocodile attacked him. Desperate, the Australian cattle farmer bit back.

Mr Deveraux, who is in his mid-60s, managed to chomp down on the predator’s eyelid, prompting the animal to let him go.

He survived and has spent nearly a month in the hospital, reported Australian broadcaster ABC News. He is set to be discharged this week.

Mr Deveraux had been working near the Finniss River in the Northern Territory in October when the attack happened.

He had stopped by a billabong, an Australian term for a stagnant pond formed after a river changes course, after noticing fish swimming in the water.

“The water had receded and it was down to this dirty water in the middle. I took two steps and the dirty b*****d (the crocodile) latched onto my right foot,” he told ABC.

“It was a big grab, and he shook me like a rag doll and took off back into the water, pulling me in.”

Mr Deveraux tried to kick the crocodile in the ribs with his other foot. It made him fall over, and he landed near the crocodile’s head. That is when he tried to bite back, reported CNN.

“I was in such an awkward position… but by accident my teeth caught his eyelid. It was pretty thick, like holding onto leather, but I jerked back on his eyelid and he let go,” He told ABC.

He rolled over and leapt away quickly to his car.

“He chased me, I think 3m or 4m… but then stopped,” said Mr Deveraux.

He recalled getting a towel and some rope to tie up his leg to stop the bleeding. His brother then drove him 130km to the Royal Darwin Hospital.

He was told he had damage to his tendons and “two big slashes just about the full length of the foot,” reported CNN.

Doctors had to spend about 10 days flushing the mud and bacteria from the wound. He received a skin graft earlier this month and told ABC he could feel his toes.

“It all happened in about eight seconds, I reckon,” he said. “If he (the crocodile) had bitten me somewhere else, it would have been different.”

He told ABC that the crocodile that attacked him has been “removed” and would not be harming anyone else.

In Singapore, a wild crocodile was found near Marina East Drive in October. The authorities said the animal had to be culled because it posed a significant risk to public safety.

The National Parks Board advised members of the public to stay calm and back away should they encounter a crocodile, and they should not approach, provoke, or feed the animal.