Confirmation came on Tuesday from Australian authorities that human remains, believed to be of a man who had gone missing, were discovered inside a crocodile in north-eastern Australia.
The incident occurred near the Annan River Bridge in Far North Queensland where the 40-year-old individual disappeared, suspected to be a victim of a crocodile attack on Saturday afternoon.
Queensland police issued a statement mentioning, “A formal identification process is underway, however, the remains are thought to belong to the missing 40-year-old man from New South Wales.”
Further examinations are set to take place to establish a definitive identification.
The search and rescue efforts for the missing man have been halted as per police instructions.
Earlier on Monday, reports surfaced in local media quoting an official from the Queensland Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation, who mentioned that a sizable crocodile allegedly responsible for the fatal attack was “humanely euthanised.”
This reptile, nearly five meters long, was located approximately 4 kilometers away from the area of the man’s disappearance and was identified by unique markings on its snout.
The crocodile was estimated to be several decades old.
According to Australian news outlets, the man was at a popular fishing spot accompanied by his wife and children.
Authorities are also delving into social media reports that suggest people were observed feeding crocodiles in the vicinity of the incident.