A rescue operation in Mpumalanga, in northeastern South Africa, led to a horrifying discovery when rescuers found human remains in the stomach of a 4.5-meter, 500-kilo crocodile captured in the Komati River, after more than a week of searching for a man who went missing during the floods that affected the region.
The animal was reportedly captured after park rangers and rescue teams detected unusual behavior unlike that of the other crocodiles in the area.
This specimen remained motionless despite helicopters and drones flying overhead, and also showed a pronounced bulge in its abdomen. When it was captured and examined, they found six shoes, two arms, a rib cage, and a ring.
South African authorities are now investigating whether the remains belong to Gabriel Batista, a 59-year-old hotel businessman from Gauteng, who disappeared after his Ford Ranger pickup truck became trapped while he was trying to cross a bridge covered by water during the flooding of the Komati River.