Crocodile Mauls Man Hunting Crabs, Body Retrieved With Bite Marks

A saltwater crocodile mauled a man to death in Malaysia while he was hunting for crabs with his nephew Tuesday. The incident took place by a river in Sarawak state on jungle-clad Borneo island.

Muh Tahir Majid Syam, a 40-year-old Indonesian man, was reported missing and during a search, his nephew spotted his uncle's head pop up above the water's surface before sinking again. Deputy local police chief Mohamad Sabri Zainol told Agence France-Presse that the crocodile might have dragged the body underwater. Local media reported that the victim was a migrant worker on a palm oil plantation.

"(The nephew) was looking around, and then he saw his uncle's head in the water before being pulled back into the river," the police officer said.

After hours of search, the victim's body was found Wednesday, covered in bite marks, leading police to conclude he was killed by a crocodile.

Saltwater crocodiles are often sighted in Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo. The reptiles, which can grow up to 23 feet in length, have been blamed for a series of attacks in the area. There have also been reports of crocodile attacks in neighboring Indonesia.

A scientist was allegedly eaten alive by a crocodile which attacked her while she fed it, according to local reports. The incident took place in January when Deasy Tuwo was at the CV Yosiki Laboratory on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The 17-foot-long reptile dragged the woman into its enclosure.

"We are still looking for the owner of the crocodile, besides that we have coordinated with the authorities in the area. I believe the owner must acknowledge this horrible incident,” Raswin Sirait, Tomohon police chief, said. "We also need to know if he is legally permitted to own crocodiles and other expensive aquatics in his company,” the chief added. “If there is no permit, he will be detained."

Officials have since taken the crocodile to a wildlife rescue facility to conduct medical tests.