A farmer has slaughtered around 100 crocodiles in northern Thailand to stop them escaping during floods and attacking his neighbours.

Natthapak Khumkad said he made the difficult decision after a heavy downpour damaged part of the pool enclosure at his crocodile farm.

It raised concerns that the huge reptiles – which are as old as 17 – could run free and endanger local residents.

“Today I decided to remove all the parent crocodiles that have been with me since the beginning, about 17 years, from the pond,” Mr Khumkad wrote in a Facebook post containing photos and videos of the dead creatures being transported across the waterlogged, muddy farm in diggers.

“One of the factors is the weather, which this year seems to be too severe. I had to make a decision as soon as possible.”

“Prevention is better than fixing it later,” he added, noting that the move will cost him about 1.4 million baht (almost £32,000) in lost revenue.

“I consulted my family and close friends and came to a unanimous decision. Normally I don’t give in, but after thinking about it from many angles and weighing it for quite some time, it’s the best choice at this point. I really had to.”

Mr Khumkad’s decision came as northern Thailand continues to struggle with flash floods and landslides, with villages cut off and homes submerged as intense rainfall continues in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi.

It is estimated that more than 750 people died as the destructive storm swirled across southeast Asia, after first making landfall in early September.

Reported fatalities have been highest in Myanmar, where at least 300 people died and 100 were injured – though the true toll in the war-torn nation may be far higher.

According to a report from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs earlier this week, some 887,000 people were affected nationwide by the storm, with clean-up efforts under-funded and difficult to roll out.

The agency said: “Response efforts are impacted by physical constraints such as road blockages, damaged bridges, and ongoing clashes.”