Human remains have been found in the stomach of a 4.5 meter crocodile killed in the Crocodile River, near Komatipoort, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The police believe that the reptile could solve the mystery of the disappearance of Gabriel Batista, 59 years old and owner of a nearby lodge. Human remains were recovered during the animal’s autopsy, investigative sources said.
The crocodile, which weighed 500 kg, was killed on Saturday afternoon. The search for Batista began on April 27, when his vehicle, a Ford Ranger, became stuck in flood waters on the low-level Komatipoort bridge.
Investigators believe the man may have been swept away by the current after he got out of the vehicle in an attempt to cross the bridge. The recovery of the carcass involved a complex operation: the commander of the Lowveld Police underwater unit, Captain Johann “Pottie” Potgieter, was lowered by a rope from the helicopter a few centimeters from the reptile’s head, an action defined by the police as an act of courage and coolness.
The reptile showed clear signs of a recent large meal, and didn’t move even with the din of drones and helicopters. Six different and mismatched shoes were also found inside the stomach, fueling suspicions that the crocodile may have “eaten” more than one person.
DNA tests will now be carried out to confirm the identity of the remains. The police praised the courage of the operators involved in the operation.