Human remains believed to be of boy taken by a crocodile found in NT

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/28/remains-believed-boy-taken-crocodile-found-nt

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Human remains believed to be of a missing 12-year-old taken by a crocodile have been found in the Northern Territory.

The remains were found on Tuesday morning near the billabong where the boy went missing while swimming with friends on Sunday afternoon.

Police said the remains would be officially identified through DNA testing.

Three crocodiles were shot in the search for the boy. Two crocodiles, measuring more than 4m, were killed in the search on Sunday night but police and park rangers now believe the crocodile who took the boy from a billabong in Kakadu national park was about 2.5m after an expert inspected bite marks on the boy’s cousin.

The 12-year-old was swimming with a group of friends on Sunday afternoon when the crocodile attacked his cousin, Jayden Djandjul, who police say is 12 years old but some media reports have said is 15.

Jayden fought off the crocodile before it took the other boy.

Police and park rangers launched a search on Sunday night, shooting 4.3m and 4.7m crocodiles and cutting their stomachs open to look for human remains.

An examination of Jayden’s wounds on Monday found the crocodile was likely to be 2.5m long. Another one was shot on Monday night but it sank before it could be recovered, police said.

The search took place near Mudginberri outstation, 20km from Jabiru, and helicopters as well as airboats were used.

The attack sparked a debate about culling crocodiles. Justin O’Brien, from the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation which represents the Mirrar people, who are the Indigenous people of the area, has supported a crocodile cull but the boy’s parents are reportedly opposed to it.

The boy came from a community of about 50 people and Jayden’s mother, Sandra Djandjul, has spoken to the Northern Territory News about the ordeal, saying her son was still scared.

"He keeps thinking too much about his cousin-brother," she said.

He was given three stitches when medical officers treated the bite on his arm, which is bruised to his shoulder.

Police are warning people to stay out of waterholes. "The waterways are swollen because of the wet season – our search area is huge," a spokeswoman said.

"It's quite incredible the amount of rainfall that we have here in the territory and the reality is there could be crocs in every water body.

"Just don't go in."