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Human remains were found inside a giant crocodile suspected of killing a man fishing on vacation with his family in Australia.
The remains are believed to be of David Hogbin, a 40-year-old man from New South Wales (NSW), who went missing after he fell from a steep bank on Saturday into the Annan River south of Cooktown in Queensland state and never surfaced.
While further testing will be conducted to confirm the identity of the victim, the police have temporarily suspended the search for him, reported 7 News.
Wildlife rangers on Monday killed a 4.9m (16ft) crocodile after locating it in a creek 4km upstream from where the man disappeared. The crocodile that allegedly took the man had distinctive scars on its snout similar to the ones witnesses reported seeing on a reptile in the vicinity of the disappearance, officials said.
“Wildlife officers have humanely euthanised a large crocodile that is believed to be responsible for the fatal attack on the Annan River,” said the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
“The animal had markings on its snout that were consistent with it being the target animal.
“Wildlife officers are removing the animal from the creek and will hand it over to the Queensland Police Service.”
The victim was a tourist from NSW, Australia’s most populous state which lies beyond crocodiles’ tropical habitat. He had been on vacation with his family and was fishing at a location known as Crocodile Bend, which is popular among tourists who come to see these large reptiles.
“He was at the top of the bank and has fallen into the water, and it’s quite a large drop there,” acting chief superintendent Shane Holmes told the media on Monday.
“I believe it was an accident when he fell into the water,” he said. It was unclear whether the victim’s family or people nearby saw what happened.
A spokesperson for Sonic Healthcare, a healthcare provider in Australia, condoled the death of Hogbin, reported ABC News. However, the nature of his association with the organisation is unclear. "We are deeply saddened by the news of this tragic event," she was quoted as saying. "This is a very challenging time for our team."
His biography at Jewells Medical Centre said Hogbin was a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners after qualifying in 2021 and in spare time enjoyed “four-wheel driving and camping with his wife and three boys”.
The tragedy followed a 12-year-old girl’s death in a crocodile attack on 2 July. She was swimming with her family in a creek in the neighboring Northern Territory when she was snatched. Her remains were found days later and wildlife rangers shot dead a 13ft crocodile.
There have been three fatal crocodile attacks in Australia this year, close to the worst annual death toll on record of four in 2014. A 16-year-old boy was killed while swimming off a Queensland island on 18 April.
The crocodile population has exploded across Australia’s tropical north since they became a protected species in the early 1970s. Hunting for their skins since the 1950s had almost wiped them out.
The Department of Environment is also investigating online videos purportedly showing people feeding crocodiles as senior conservation officer Daniel Guymer described the behavior as “risky and reckless”.
“So any information and evidence in relation to alleged illegal activities, such as the unlawful feeding of a crocodile at that location, will be investigated by our wildlife officers,” he said.
Explaining the repercussions of “stupid” and “dangerous” behaviour, local wildlife carer Beau Peberdy told ABC News that it conditions “an animal to come in to feed from people”.
“People I think really need to start understanding that these animals are dangerous … and doing silly or inappropriate things in and around the water’s edge, it has severe consequences."
