The remains of a Portuguese citizen have been recovered from the stomach of a crocodile in South Africa.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Gabriel Batista, 59, was reportedly caught by the animal after being swept away in his vehicle while trying to cross a partially submerged bridge over the Komati River.
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the man, whose identity was confirmed by the foreign minisrt, had been growing for days after his disappearance on 27 April.
After finding the vehicle he was travelling in on the banks of the river, investigators noticed the presence of a crocodile that appeared to be swollen and struggling to move.
The crocodile, weighing around 600 kilos and almost five metres long, also didn’t react to the presence of humans, a behaviour that made it stand out from the other reptiles.
“We know from experience that when crocodiles have just eaten a large meal, they are not very active and need to lie down in the sun for their digestive system to start working,” Captain Johan Potgieter told South African news channel eNCA.
Authorities decided to euthanise the animal in order to analyse its insides. It was airlifted out of the river by helicopter with Potgier descending from the aircraft to carry out the “highly dangerous and complex operation.”
Police confirmed the presence of human remains inside the crocodile, which were sent for DNA analysis that confirmed the identity of the victim. Authorities are still looking into the case.
In addition to the Portuguese man’s remains, Potgieter told SABC News that the crocodile’s stomach also contained around six pairs of crocs and flip-flops.
“I can’t say why they were there or why he ate them, but this shows that these crocodiles are very active in this area,” Potgieter added.
The same media organisation indicated that the family of the missing businessman was present during the search operation. The family asked the press for privacy.
According to Jornal da Madeira, the Madeiran businessman, who was born in the parish of Serra de Água, had lived in South Africa since 1975, after emigrating with his parents.
