A 44-year-old scientist in Indonesia was killed by a 17-foot crocodile that climbed an 8-foot concrete wall and grabbed the woman as she fed the reptile at the lab where she worked.

Staff members at the CV Yosiki Laboratory in North Sulawesi made the gruesome discovery Friday morning when they noticed a “strange shape” in the water, according to the Daily Mail. They then noticed the crocodile named Merry with the victim’s savaged body in its jaws.

The victim was identified as Deasy Tuwo, who was throwing meat into the pool when the incident occurred.

Rescuers attempted to retrieve the victim’s remains, but the 1,300-pound crocodile thrashed about violently with each try, Russia Today reported. The crocodile was sedated and then loaded onto a truck to be transported to a wildlife rescue center in Bitung district for medical examinations to determine if it had consumed parts of its handler.

“We were curious when we looked at the crocodile pool, there was a floating object, it was Deasy’s body,” colleague Erling Rumengan told The Mirror. “We were afraid to touch it and we immediately reported 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.”

The crocodile was said to have torn off the victim’s left arm and mutilated her upper torso.

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“She was the head of the lab,” a former colleague Merry Supit told The Mirror. “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 [before].”

Meanwhile, Tomohon Police Chief Raswin Sirait told The Mirror that police are still looking for the owner of the crocodile. He is believed to be a Japanese businessman who owns the research facility.

“I believe the owner must acknowledge this horrible incident,” Sirait told The Mirror. “But we have neither seen him nor know where he is.

“We also need to know if he is legally permitted to own crocodiles and other expensive aquatics in his company. If there is no permit, he will be detained.”

Generic photo of crocodile similar to the one in the attack courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

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