Human remains have been found inside a crocodile that was shot and killed after a father was nabbed in front of his wife and kids while fishing during a family holiday.
The 40-year-old NSW father was attacked near the bridge at Annan River, south of Cooktown, in Far North Queensland, just after 2pm on Saturday.
He was dragged under the water by a 4.9m long crocodile with the shocking incident unfolding before his wife and children as they stood nearby.
The crocodile was shot and killed by wildlife rangers at 2pm on Monday before the carcass was handed to police and the contents of its stomach examined.
Queensland Police released a statement on Tuesday revealing that human remains had been found inside the predator.
‘A formal identification process is underway however it is believed the remains are those of a missing 40-year-old New South Wales man,’ a statement read.
‘Further testing will be conducted to determine a positive identity. The search and rescue operation has been suspended.
‘Police are working with wildlife officers as investigations continue.’
Disturbing footage has emerged showing people feeding crocodiles upstream from where a man was dragged under by a ‘large croc’ while fishing with his family
It comes as disturbing videos emerged on social media showing people throwing fish or meat scraps into the water for awaiting crocodiles upstream from where the man was killed.
‘Is that the big one,’ a man is heard asking before another replies: ‘Yeah. he’s pretty big’, while a woman exclaims ‘oh, there’s two there!’.
A child is then heard saying ‘attack’ just moments before a crocodile surfaced and snapped at the food thrown into the water.
In another video, a crocodile was seen swimming up to the edge of the water and eating a large fish on the riverbank.
‘What a pig,’ the woman said. ‘I think he just said “thank you”.’
It is unknown when the video was taken but captions suggest it occurred at the Annan River in Cooktown.
Daily Mail Australia contacted the Queensland Department of the Environment for comment.
The department has said it was ‘highly concerned’ by the videos as it showed feeding crocodiles habituated the animals to humans.
‘It is illegal to feed crocodiles in Queensland, and anyone with information about the deliberate feeding of crocodiles is encouraged to call 1300 130 372 and report the information. Reports can be made anonymously,’ a spokesman told 7News.
‘Feeding of crocodiles at riverbanks or boat ramps encourages them to hang around, waiting for their next meal.
‘This can place future visitors to the area at a much greater risk of attack if they approach or enter the water.
‘People should never feed crocodiles or give easy access to food or fish scraps.’
The department said crocodiles, which have been around for millions of years, are able to source their own food with their highly developed sense of smell.
It added the crocodile responsible for dragging the man underwater was ‘believed to have a distinctive marking on its snout’.
The euthanised reptile has been handed over to police and will have the contents of its stomach forensically examined.
A team including police, rangers and SES, had resumed their search for the man at 7am on Monday.
‘We’ve been patrolling the riverbank. There is quite a large area, approximately 5km of waterway, it is tidal,’ Cooktown Police Senior Sergeant Greg Finucane said on Sunday.
The fishing spot, where the man was attacked, is a well-known habitat for the reptiles.
A Cooktown resident claimed the crocodile had associated people with food as some locals were feeding it roadkill further upstream.
‘People throw roadkill in for it to eat and he could have been sitting there 15ft under the water waiting for a feed,’ a Cooktown local told the Cairns Post.
The man, 40, was attacked by a crocodile in front of his wife and children while fishing near the bridge at Annan River, south of Cooktown (pictured, baited croc trap is put into the water)
‘We have had a bit of rain so the bank would be soft and even if he wasn’t near the edge it could have fallen away beneath him.
‘It’s just horrendous and everyone is feeling about the family, to watch that happen in front of you is unthinkable.’
Police declined to comment on speculation that members of the public had been feeding crocodiles in the vicinity.
A team including police, rangers and SES, had resumed their search for the man at 7am on Monday.
Police have not confirmed where in NSW the family is from or the age of the victim’s children.