Crocodile shaman killed by croc -- while looking for man who was attacked earlier

Chen Jingwen
AsiaOne
Sep 19, 2017

This is a tragic tale that probably reminds us of the risks animal handlers face when they try to control ferocious animals with hypnosis and body language.

Taking brave steps into the spiritual realm was a self-proclaimed Indonesian shaman, who could apparently wield supernatural power over crocodiles.

When Suprianto, a pawang buaya (crocodile shaman), heard that a man was fatally attacked by the reptiles while he was bathing in a crocodile-infested estuary the day before, he dived into the water to look for his body, reported Kompas news.

In an ironic twist of fate, Suprianto was killed by a crocodile at Muara Jawa estuary in East Kalimantan last Saturday.

A video posted by Tribune Timur shows people witnessing his disappearance after he was dragged underwater by a crocodile while swimming and chanting prayers.

WARNING: Video may be disturbing to some viewers

BODIES FOUND INTACT

The police managed to find the bodies of both men on Sunday (Sep 17). And surprisingly, their bodies were still intact - the crocodiiles didn't rip off any of their parts or limbs.

"The shaman was found floating in Muara Jawa at 9.40pm. His body is still whole," a police chief told the Indonesian media.

"I think he was dragged by a crocodile under the water and then he ran out of oxygen. From the pictures I've seen, his body is still intact, his arms and legs are still there," he said.

It was the second crocodile attack reported in Kalimantan in recent months.

In July, news of a crocodile "returning" the body of a man it had killed the day before after it supposedly answered a crocodile shaman's request surprised many.

In that incident, the shaman did not dive into the water, noted Detik.

chenj@sph.com.sg