Nibbling a Nokia for lunch could have health implications - just ask the ravenous crocodile that swallowed one whole.

Clumsy Kiev aquarium visitor Rimma Golovko dropped her phone while trying to snap a shot of Gena, a 14-year-old croc, who subsequently shot in with a snap of its own and wolfed the handset down, AP reports.

Zoo workers at first refused to believe Golovko. But when the phone started to ring it was clear where the sound came from.

Since gobbling down the phone, Gena has completely lost his appetite, and is refusing to eat. Nor will he play with his fellow African crocodiles, despite being the group leader.

An employee at the aquarium in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, noted the behavioural change, saying he now hardly moves and swims much less than he used to.

A change of diet hasn't perked up the listless lizard, either, and vets may be forced to resort to surgery to remove the offending mobile if it takes too long to pass through the croc's digestive tract. ®