KOTA KINABALU: For veterinarian Dr Diana Raminez, the sight of a crocodile swallowing a python along Kinabatangan River was both sad and good news.

It was heart-wrenching to see the 5m-long reticulated python dead but it was also a sign that the Kinabatangan River’s eco-system was working well, said Dr Raminez, a wildlife rescue unit assistant manager.

"It was a real wildlife scene that is still happening in the Kinabatangan River,” she said

She added that they captured the pictures at 2pm on Saturday while doing wildlife patrols along the Kinabatangan River.

“My team and I were very surprised since this is not a normal situation seen daily,” she added.

“We saw them when the crocodile was already having the python.

“About 40 minutes later, the crocodile was still having the snake.

“We didn't stay longer because the crocodile (about 4m long) was showing stress, trying to hide its prey,” she said.

Rare footage: A sequence of photos (clockwise from top) showing the 4m-long crocodile swallowing the 5m-long reticulated python in the river.

She added that she took the pictures and left.

Based on her experiences, Dr Raminez believed that the python was already dead by the time the crocodile got to it.

“This is based on past post-mortem results.

“The body of the python had ruptured skin, indicating that it could have died about 24 hours before the sighting,” she said.