A scientist has been eaten alive by a crocodile after falling into an enclosure at a research facility in Indonesia, according to multiple local media reports.

The body of Deasy Tuwo, a 44-year-old woman, was found on Friday morning in an outside pool at CV Yosiki Laboratory in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Although details are thin on the ground, police say the large crocodile leaped up against the wall of the enclosure during feeding time and grabbed the researcher, pulling her into the pool and eating parts of her body.

"We were curious when we looked at the crocodile pool, there was a floating object, it was Deasy's body,” said Erling Rumengan, a colleague of Deasy, according to The Mirror.

“She was the head of the lab. A quiet person. We're confused about how this has happened,” said another colleague.

The fate of the crocodile is unknown, however photographs from the scene show the crocodile tied to a truck by a huge crowd of people. Local media reports claim the croc was being transported to a wildlife center in Bitung district for tests to be carried out on its stomach contents.

Police are now on the hunt for the lab’s owner, believed to be a Japanese businessman.

"I believe the owner must acknowledge this horrible incident. But we have neither seen him nor know where he is,” added Raswin Sirait, Tomohon police chief.

“We also need to know if he is legally permitted to own crocodiles and other expensive aquatics in his company. If there is no permit, he will be detained."

Crocodile attacks are often fatal, especially when they are in close proximity to humans. Worldwide, crocodiles are estimated to kill about 1,000 humans per year. Most of these deaths are caused by the Nile crocodile and saltwater crocodile, however, once again, that’s because wild populations live near to human populations.