In a tragic incident in eastern Indonesia, a crocodile has killed a woman bathing in a river, with villagers later recovering parts of her body from the animal. The attack occurred in Wali village on the Maluku islands, where 54-year-old Halima Rahakbauw was swimming after gathering clams.
According to local reports, Rahakbauw did not return home as expected, prompting a search by her relatives and friends. They discovered a sandal and a body part in the river, leading them to contact the police. Authorities subsequently killed the crocodile, which was approximately four meters (12 feet) long, to retrieve the victim’s remains.
A local police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that the villagers had to cut open the crocodile to recover the body parts. The specific species of the crocodile was not identified by either the police or the villagers.
This incident is part of a troubling pattern of crocodile attacks in Indonesia. Recently, a 63-year-old tin miner was killed by a crocodile on Bangka island in Sumatra. In 2018, nearly 300 crocodiles were slaughtered in Papua in retaliation for a similar attack. Additionally, in 2019, a scientist was killed by a captive crocodile on Sulawesi island.
Indonesia, home to several crocodile species, faces ongoing challenges with human-wildlife conflict, particularly involving these dangerous reptiles.
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