A wildlife researcher was eaten alive after the 17-foot crocodile she was feeding leapt from its enclosure and dragged the unsuspecting woman to her death.

The woman’s horrified colleagues discovered the deceased, Deasy Tuwo, 44, still trapped in the reptile’s powerful jaws on Friday morning in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The 17ft, 1,300lb crocodile named Merry had ripped off both of Tuwo’s arms and severely mutilated her torso having vaulted the eight-foot-high concrete wall at the CV Yosiki Laboratory. The behemoth is reportedly a highly aggressive animal which ate another crocodile at the facility, one of its former enclosure companions.

Rescuers battled hard to retrieve Tuwo’s remains from the enclosure, with the croc thrashing violently each time. Merry was eventually sedated and strapped to a flatbed truck before being sent for medical examinations to confirm that he had indeed eaten his handler.

Deasy has been described by friends and family as a “quiet person” and “an animal lover.” “She was the head of the lab. A quiet person. We're confused about how this has happened,” Former Colleague Merry Supit said as cited by The Mirror.

"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."

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Police are attempting to track down the owner of gigantic crocodile, who they believe to be a Japanese businessman.

"I believe the owner must acknowledge this horrible incident. But we have neither seen him nor know where he is,” Raswin Sirait, Tomohon Police Chief, said.

“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."

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