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Human remains were found inside the stomach of a 14 foot long (4.2 meter) crocodile on an island north of Queensland, Australia. According to local authorities, the remains likely belong to Andrew Heard, a 69-year-old fisherman who went missing from the area on February 11.
Heard was last seen this Thursday afternoon when he left his yacht on Hinchinbrook Island (near Australia’s northeast coast) in a small fishing dinghy, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) information site. Having failed to return that night and having stopped responding to her radio, Heard’s wife called authorities.
Her dinghy was found capsized early Friday morning (February 12), showing damage indicating a crocodile attack.
On Friday evening, investigators discovered human remains in the area; the next day, they found the gigantic croc nearby, according to the Queensland government. Environmental authorities euthanized the crocodile and cut it open, revealing more human remains in its guts.
“The crocodile captured yesterday is believed to be the animal involved in a man’s disappearance,” said Queensland Environment, a local government agency. tweeted Saturday (February 13). “Our hearts go out to the family at this difficult time.”
The coasts around Queensland are home to the largest species of crocodile on Earth: the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Saltwater fangs can grow up to 23 feet (7 m) long, although they rarely exceed 16 feet (5 m), according to the Queensland Museum. They inhabit the coastal waters of the entire western Pacific, from the southern coast of India to northern Australia. And they are known to attack humans.
Indeed, two more crocodile attacks have been reported in Queensland in the past two weeks, according to Vice News. In late January, a man in his 40s was bitten on the head while swimming in Lake Placid, about 160 kilometers north of Hinchinbrook Island. The man survived with minor injuries after slicing open the crocodile’s jaws with his hands, reports said.
Several days later, a 22-year-old man was attacked by a 3.6m-long crocodile while swimming near the northernmost tip of Australia. He survived with lacerations to his hand and the crocodile was later euthanized.
Originally posted on Live Science.
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