Human remains have been found buried inside an alligator after a farmer suddenly went missing from his riverside camp.
Locals carved open a huge alligator to find human remains inside
The bones, hair and flesh “of a Brazilian farmer who vanished while working near a river” have been found inside a monster 13ft alligator.
The fearsome beast, also known as a black caiman, is believed to have attacked Adilson de Oliveira, 47, as he camped on the banks of the Javae River, in Tocantins, northern Brazil.
Tests results released yesterday by Palmas Forensic Medical Institute suggest the farm worker was eaten around a fortnight ago.
Investigators found bones, skin, hair, flesh and plastic bags in the reptile’s stomach after the creature was hunted down and slaughtered by locals, a day after the victim went missing.
Mr Oliveira, from Belo Horizonte, South-East Brazil, was working on a farm in the area and had set up camp with other labourers when he is believed to have been dragged into the murky water on Friday, July 28.
The dangerous predators, which live in the Amazon jungle and surrounding forest areas, can grow to the size of some of the largest crocodiles on earth.
Adilson de Oliveira, 47, vanished from his riverside campsite on July 28
According to workmates, the victim was fishing late at night near the river’s edge when he vanished.
The alert was raised several hours after Mr Oliveira went missing as the incident is believed to have happened overnight – meaning his absence went unnoticed.
Fire officer Sergeant Ronaldo Barbosa, who was involved in the recovery mission, said: “The campsite owner told me he had gone to sleep earlier and woke up around 10pm on Thursday night (July 27).
 
“He said he didn’t remember seeing any sign of Adilson at that point.
 
“He went looking for him and found his flip-flops and a lighter near the river but as he wasn’t sure what had happened he went back to bed.”
Firefighters called to the scene took nearly 24 hours to arrive because of the difficulties in accessing the remote area.
Over 30 officers searched for nearly two days, from Saturday through to Sunday morning, up and down the riverbank and inside the dense forest.
The waterway was scoured by boat and firefighters risked their lives diving into the murky alligator-infested waters to search for the man’s remains.
Locals and co-workers eventually tracked down and killed this 13ft alligator
Sgt Barbosa said: “This was one of the most difficult and risky recovery missions in my career.
 
“We searched the land, on the bank and along the river. We went up and down the river several times and saw at least seven alligators. Some of the adults were more than four metres (13ft) long.”
He continued: “This stretch of river is very dangerous, because along with black caiman there are stingrays and piranha in the water.
 
“When we reached the deepest part of the river, where the water stands still, I dived in and went about four metres down.
 
“It was a huge risk. The water was very dark and cloudy with very little visibility.
 
“About 20 minutes later, when I came back to the surface, an alligator was swimming about six metres away from me.”
With no further trace found of the missing man, local residents familiar with the area became convinced the victim had been devoured by the reptiles.
Residents and workmates of the victim carve the animals stomach open
They noticed at least seven alligators had gathered on the opposite banks of the river a day after Mr Oliveira had gone missing.
Fire officer Bruno Teixeira said: “Locals told us these creatures don’t normally come together unless they have been eating.
 
“Because of their experience in the area, they decided to take matters into their own hands.”
According to reports, a group of residents and workmates of the victim hunted down, trapped and killed a gator which appeared to be “fatter than normal” and which had an “unusual swelling in its abdomen”.
The animal was disembowelled and macabre human remains were found inside its belly.
Sgt Barbosa said: “Adilson was known to stuff plastic bags into his trouser pockets and when the locals called us to report their find, we discovered evidence of plastic bags, broken bones, hair, skin and other body parts inside the caiman’s stomach.”
Forensic experts are waiting to confirm the collected pieces belong to the victim.
Members of Mr Oliveira’s family have been asked to supply samples of their DNA for analysis and for comparison.
The results of these tests will be released within the next few weeks, pathologists said.
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Culled from The Sun UK