An Indonesian woman was killed last week after a 14-foot crocodile she was illegally keeping as a pet mauled her to death, officials said Wednesday.
Deasy Tuwo, 44, the head of a laboratory at a pearl farm in North Sulawesi, was feeding the crocodile in its enclosure on Jan. 10 when she was killed by the 1,500-pound reptile, the AFP reported. It was not immediately clear if she fell in the enclosure or if she was dragged by the animal. Police are investigating the incident.
Her body was found the next day by her co-workers, the AFP reported.
Hendrik Rundengan, from the local conservation agency, said Merry had eaten one of the woman’s hands and most of her abdomen was missing.
“These parts may still be inside the crocodile now,” he said.
The crocodile, named Merry, was being held at the pearl farm illegally. The crocodile was sedated and removed from the enclosure. Merry will be moved to a conservation area, Hendrik Rundengan from the North Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency said.
The Indonesian archipelago has several species of crocodiles that kill humans. About 1,000 people a year are killed by crocodiles around the world, according to the BBC.
