Fatal Feeding: Scientist Killed by Giant Crocodile
Deasy Tuwo, a 44-year-old scientist and head of a laboratory at a pearl farm on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, was killed in January 2019 by a massive crocodile named Merry that was kept illegally on the property. The 17-foot, 107-stone reptile ripped off her arm and ate her abdomen after she fell into its enclosure while feeding it.
Discovery of the Body
Tuwo's body was not discovered until the following morning when colleagues arrived at work and saw a "strange shape" in the water. They realized it was Merry with her jaws clamped around what remained of Tuwo's body. Workers and rescue workers struggled to retrieve the body as the crocodile thrashed wildly and refused to release its prize.
Witness Accounts
Tuwo'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."
Recovery and Aftermath
Staff eventually managed to capture the crocodile, which was then taken for medical tests. Merry is said to have eaten most of Tuwo's hands, arms, and abdomen, and there were fears that more body parts remained inside the crocodile. 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 claimed Merry had previously attacked and killed another crocodile in the same enclosure.
Context and Dangers
It is not known if Merry's owner was located or what happened to the giant crocodile. Indonesia is home to several species of crocodile, which have been known to attack humans. In 2016, a Russian tourist was killed by a crocodile on the Raja Ampat islands. Crocodiles kill about 1,000 humans each year, far more than sharks, as they are opportunistic killers.
