A group of ferocious Australian crocodiles were so traumatised by a maximum-strength cyclone last week that they hid under water and stopped eating, according to wildlife park officials.

Bob Flemming from Towns-ville’s Billabong Sanctuary in Australia’s northeast said the 12 saltwater crocodiles, some more than four metres long, took days to recover from Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi.

“They were traumatised for a couple of days,” Mr Flemming said.

“They stayed underwater for some time and didn’t even surface for food.”

However, Mr Flemming said he did not lose any animals during Australia’s worst storm in nearly a century, which remarkably also failed to cause any direct human casualties.

“Lots of trees came down on the aviary and some birds, including wedgetail eagles, flew away but they have since returned home,” he said.