A female scientist was mauled to death by a giant crocodile that was being kept illegally at a pearl farm on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The attack occurred in January 2019 when 44-year-old Deasy Tuwo, head of the laboratory at the farm, was feeding the crocodile named Merry.
The Attack
Deasy was tossing chunks of meat to the 17-foot, 107-stone crocodile when she lost her balance and fell into the enclosure. Merry lunged upward, dragging Deasy into the water. Her body was not discovered until the following morning when horrified colleagues arrived for work and saw a strange shape floating in the pool.
Upon closer inspection, they realized it was Merry with its jaws locked around Deasy's remains. Rescue workers and colleagues attempted to retrieve the body, but the crocodile thrashed violently and refused to release its victim.
Witness Accounts
Deasy's friend Erling Rumengan said: "We were curious when we looked at the crocodile pool, there was a floating object, it was Deasy's body. We were afraid to touch it and we immediately report the incident at the Tombariri police station. It's possible the crocodile jumped from the side. Maybe it's because the crocodile was still full, it didn't finish eating her body."
Former colleague Merry Supit added: "She was the head of the lab. A quiet person. We're confused about how this has happened. The crocodile eats chicken, tuna and meat. Everything must be fresh, he doesn't want to eat if it's frozen or has died a few days."
Aftermath
Staff eventually captured the crocodile, which was taken away for medical examination. The crocodile had eaten most of Deasy's hands, arms, and abdomen. Hendriks Rundengan, an official from a local conservation agency, said: "The indication is that she fell into the crocodile's enclosure. These parts may still be inside the crocodile now."
Staff also alleged that Merry had previously attacked and killed another crocodile sharing the same enclosure. It remains unclear whether the owner was traced or what became of the crocodile.
Context
Indonesia is home to several crocodile species known to attack humans. In 2016, a Russian tourist was killed by a crocodile on the Raja Ampat islands. Crocodiles claim about 1,000 human lives annually, far more than sharks, though humans are not their intended prey.
