Terrifying video reveals truth behind famous James Bond crocodile scene: 'I have questions'

A terrifying video has emerged showing how stunt performers shot the famous James Bond crocodile scene.

Fans have been stunned to learn that the iconic sequence from Live and Let Die used real reptiles.

While the filmmakers previously stated that no puppets or models were used during filming, the footage demonstrates just how dangerous the stunt was. 

In the final cut, Bond is seen making his escape over a body of water by stepping on the back of three snapping crocodiles.

But outtakes show just how close stuntman Ross Heilman, aka Ross Kananga, who was standing in for Roger Moore's Bond, came into contact with the ferocious beasts.

The feat is all the more impressive given that Kananga's own father was allegedly eaten by a crocodile. 

The scene took five takes to secure and saw Kananga fall into the water several times and even get bitten.

In the first take, Kananga makes it across the first two animals at speed before the third attempts to snap at him.

He plunges into the water and has to haul himself up while the crocodile continues to thrash around wildly behind him.

By takes two and three, the beasts are ready and immediately begin snapping at him as he falls yet again, at one point attempting to hold one of them down.

The last failure sees Kananga make it all the way across before his shoe gets hooked on the final crocodile's tooth and he is force to try and writhe his way out.

Kananga's foot ended up being bitten during this final attempt leaving him needing stitches.

The animals were secured to the bottom of the water using weights but as the bloopers show, their powerful jaws and tails were left unrestrained to amplify the peril.

Around a dozen crocodiles were used during filming, sourced from a farm in Jamaica owned by Kananga.

The stuntman inherited the farm from his crocodile wrestler dad, who was eaten by one of the animals according to Moore, who spoke about it in the documentary, 'Inside Live and Let Die'.

The heart-stopping video has left many fans in disbelief.

'Never thought they were real, just some sort of machine. I’m now gonna have to watch that movie again,' one person wrote on Reddit.

'That could have gone insanely wrong,' another added.

'This guy almost got eaten by crocs on the third take and then did a fourth? Legend,' a third said.

Another added: 'I have questions!' 

Many stated that they hoped Kananga was well paid given how dangerous the stunt was.

He received $60,000 for his work in 1973, equivalent to more than $450,000 today.

He took his stage name from the villain and Let Die, Dr Kananga, played by American actor Yaphet Kotto.