Crocodile Eats Fisherman, Reptile's Belly Cut Open To Retrieve Victim's Body Parts

A crocodile was hunted and killed after it attacked a fisherman in Indonesia. Villagers cut open the reptile's belly to retrieve the man's body.

Local media reported that the incident took place in Indonesia's Riau province, on the central eastern coast of Sumatra facing the Strait of Malacca. The 55-year-old fisherman's friend said that a 13-foot-long crocodile pulled the man into the Lakar River. The victim's friend managed to scramble up the muddy banks to safety after witnessing the reptile attack.

A search was launched for the man and the crocodile the next morning, during which rescue teams found the victim’s leg washed up on the river bank. The teams managed to track the suspected crocodile. The reptile was shot and killed before being brought up to shore. Villagers cut its belly to reveal if it had eaten the fisherman.

The victim's body parts were found inside the crocodile's stomach.

Indonesian forest officials blamed the villagers for not being extra careful in the area, where it is known to be the perfect habitat for saltwater crocodiles, local media said.

Heru Sutmantoro, the head of the Riau province’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency, acknowledged the villager’s actions.

“We received the information that the attack happened on Sunday night, we have long warned the public to avoid saltwater crocodile habitats and be careful around that area," Sutmantoro said. “This was not the first attack, similar attacks have happened before around the Lakar River."

In another recent incident in Zimbabwe, a 14-year-old boy was mauled to death by a crocodile while trying to cross a river. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said that after they were alerted about the incident, professionals searched for the teenager's remains for hours.

"We fortunately managed to retrieve the body mid-day. We were working with the sub-aqua unit and also our officers down there," he said. “It’s unfortunate and a sad development. We are deeply saddened as an authority.”

In a similar incident in February, an 11-year-old boy was killed in a crocodile attack in Binga district of Zimbabwe,.According to local reports, the boy was swimming in a stream with his friends when the crocodile attacked him. The reptile dragged the victim into the deeper part and viciously attacked him. The boy succumbed to the injuries.