DUBAI: A professional hunter who vanished while on a safari last week is believed to have been eaten by crocodiles in Zimbabwe, The Telegraph reported Tuesday.
South African Scott van Zyl, 44, embarked on a hunting safari with a local tracker and a pack of dogs last Friday and has not been seen since.
Helicopters, trackers and divers searched the area after the dogs returned to camp without the two men.
Rescue workers also distributed photographs of Zyl, who owns the SS Pro Safaris company that takes foreign clients on hunting trips, to local villagers.
According to the newspaper, Zyl’s tracks were spotted leading down to the Limpopo River and his backpack was found nearby.
Sakkie Louwrens, who was involved in the search, told The Telegraph that the police and nature conservation services decided to shoot two Nile crocodiles after suspicions arose that the pair may be responsible for the hunter’s disappearance.
“We found what could possibly be human remains in them,” he said.
Forensic experts are testing whether the remains belong to Zyl and the tracker.
Zyl has a wife and two children.
Nile crocodiles typically feed on fish, antelope and zebra.
Missing South African hunter feared to have been eaten by crocodiles
Missing South African hunter feared to have been eaten by crocodiles
