Nearly 300 Crocodiles Slaughtered In Revenge Killing After Man Fatally Attacked

Nearly 300 crocodiles were brutally slaughtered in West Papua, Indonesia, after an eye witness saw the reptile killing a man at a breeding farm. Graphic photos of the bloodied massacre were shared by local newspapers Monday.

An official said angry villagers attacked the crocodiles with knives, hammers and clubs turning the reptiles into a large pile of carcasses to avenge the death of a 48-year-old man, identified by first name Sugito. The head of Indonesia’s natural resources conservation agency in West Papua said the man was picking grass for animal feed when he was attacked by a crocodile.

“An employee heard someone screaming for help, he quickly went there and saw a crocodile attacking someone,” Basar Manullang reportedly said, adding that after Sugito's funeral, armed villagers entered the farm and killed all the crocodiles.

Police said they were outnumbered by the villagers and were unable to stop the attack. It is unclear if there will be criminal charges against those involved in the killing of the reptiles.

"The crocodile slaughter violated the law on destroying others’ property," Manullang said.

Several species of crocodiles live in the Indonesian archipelago. The farm where the attack took place had been breeding protected saltwater and New Guinea crocodiles for preservation since 2013.

“To prevent this from happening again, farming license holders need to secure surrounding areas,” he said, adding that police are investigating the incident. "Crocodiles are god's creatures that need to be protected too."