Huge crocodile eats 8-year-old girl alive in front of friends, remains found after 2 days

A massive crocodile in Indonesia attacked and devoured an 8-year-old girl while she was bathing with her friends in a river. The child's body was found two days later.

The horrific incident took place Wednesday in Buru island. The victim, identified as Suci Ramadhani, was bathing with her friends when she was attacked by the crocodile in the river in Teluk Kayeli district. Korpos Namlea, a search and rescue official in the city of Ambon, told The Star that the witnesses of the incident were shocked.

Locals rushed to the scene and managed to stab the crocodile with a spear as the girl's face was visibly sticking out of the mouth. However, when the crocodile's stomach was cut open, they did not find the girl's entire body, Tribunnews reported.

The remains of the victim were found in the early hours of Friday.

"The river is known to be infested with saltwater crocodiles," Namlea said. "At least two crocodile attacks have occurred in the past 10 years."

Such attacks on people are common in places where human population and such large crocodiles coexist. Indonesia is home to several species of crocodiles, and the best way to avoid an attack is by staying away from areas infested with reptiles.

In March, an 8-year-old boy was killed by a crocodile as he swam in a river in Indonesia, on the island of Borneo. The boy and his little brother were swimming in East Kalimantan province while their father was watching near their house. The child was attacked and swallowed by the crocodile, local authorities said. The child's father jumped to help him, but the reptile escaped.

In another incident, a 7-year-old girl was attacked and killed by a crocodile while she was swimming in a river in Papua New Guinea in April. The girl was with her nine-year-old sister and grandmother when the incident took place. The two girls were taking a dip in the Budaim river while their grandmother was washing dishes when a crocodile leaped out of the water and grabbed the 7-year-old girl. "We know crocodiles are frequenting this coastline between Buang river and Busamang village with incidences of them preying on animals like dogs and chickens," the girl's uncle said at the time.