This is the viral moment a man uses a caiman as a weapon during a Brazilian beach brawl.

The bizarre incident took place on Macumba Beach in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, 20th October.

Footage shows how the man, after being forced to the ground, picks up the baby caiman and wields it as if it were a weapon while brawling with another man, with a lifeguard trying to separate the pair.

Shortly after the incident, the fire brigade arrived on the scene, captured the caiman and released it back into its natural habitat in the nearby 380-acre Marapendi Municipal Nature Park.

The video of the strange incident swiftly went viral, racking up hundreds of thousands of views online and attracting numerous amusing comments.

One netizen commented: “I’ve always frequented this beach and I’ve never been bothered. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve always been accompanied by my pet tyrannosaurus rex.”

Another netizen, Junior de Freitas, commented: “Every citizen has the right to carry a small-calibre caiman to defend themselves.”

Another netizen commented: “Sustainable weapon. The arms industry in the era of the green economy.”

The identities of the two brawlers were not reported, nor was the cause of the scuffle divulged.

It is not known if the caiman was brought to the scene by one of the men or if it was already on the beach at the time.

It is not clear if the men face punishment for their actions.