Crocodile Carries Boy's Dead Body Back to His Family, Rescuers in Indonesia [WATCH]

A crocodile carried a boy's dead body along the Mahakam River in Indonesia, where the victim was reunited with his rescuers and family, according to reports.

The bizarre crocodile behavior has drawn attention in social media, where the incident went viral since it was also caught on video.

However, crocodile attacks are common across Indonesia.

Crocodile Returns Body

(Photo : Photo by EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images)

In a video that surfaced on social media earlier this week, it can be seen that a crocodile was carrying the 4-year-old child named Muhammad Ziyad Wijaya.

The boy drowned a mile away several days before and was unable to find by his family and local authorities, according to Gulf Today, which cited that the Indonesian media televised the shocking footage.

An unnamed bystander reportedly filmed the remarkable incident involving the recovery of the boy's body which was picked up by two mean inside the boat.

Initial observations allegedly revealed that the child was not a victim of a giant crocodile attack, but rather accidentally fell into the Mahakam River while playing.

The clip also shows that rescuers, residents, and the victim's family were waiting to pick up Muhammad from the water after the crocodile immediately disappeared.

The joint search and rescue team, along with residents moved the body to the mainland, according to media reporting.

Newsweek reported that the boy had gone missing for two days near the Jawa Estuary, located east of the island of Borneo in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan.

The East Kalimantan Basarnas Search and Rescue Agency had been searching for the victim.

However, the said reptile appeared to be an unexpected volunteer in the operation.

After a preliminary examination, Indonesian authorities have found no evidence of bite marks on the toddler's body.

Nevertheless, it remains unclear on whether or not a single or many crocodiles were involved in the Muhammad's drowning.

Also Read: Nile Crocodile Named 'Bin Laden' Terrorizes Village, Eating 80 Locals

Strange Behavior

Unusual as it seems, crocodiles have been known to return dead human bodies in some cases.

The reason behind the strange behavior remains unclear. Yet, crocodiles are known for eating humans alive before devouring them in the depths of the water.

In 2017, an Indonesian local named Syarifuddin, 41, was caught by a 6.5-foot crocodile in East Kalimantan, not far from where Muhammad drowned and went missing.

The local villagers at that time sought the help of a "crocodile charmer" to bring Syarifuddin's body back.

Following a mystic ritual conducted by the crocodile charmer, the crocodile apparently appeared along the river bank carrying a dead body in its mouth, the BBC reported.

Indonesia Crocodiles

Indonesia is home to at least four different crocodile species such as the saltwater crocodile, the New Guinea freshwater crocodile, the Siamese crocodile, and the Tomistoma.

The saltwater crocodile is the world's largest crocodile species and is also responsible for many attacks in the country.

In 2022, an Indonesian man named Usman captured a live crocodile measuring 14.1 feet (4.3 meters) on the island of Sulawesi with just using only a rope, CNN reported.