The crocodile  reportedly  returned the body of a missing man after it was summoned by a shaman, in Africa is called witch doctor.

Syarifuddin had been bathing with friends when the 6.5ft crocodile pounced and dragged him beneath the water in Berau, Indonesia, on Tuesday evening.

Desperate relatives and police had searched for the 41-year-old but he was nowhere to be found.

Villagers reportedly got in touch with a ‘local black magic wizard’ who specialises in crocodile witchcraft and they cast a spell for Syarifuddin to be brought back alive.

Amazingly, the crocodile emerged on Wednesday morning, with the naked body of Syarifuddin in its jaws, sparking suggestions it had actually been guarding the victim’s body from other predators.

Local resident, Eet, who like Syarifuddin only has a first name in line with Indonesian tradition, said he had never witnessed a crocodile attack.

He said there was a local myth that anyone bathing with clothes on in the river would be fine – but bathing naked would result in a crocodile attack.

He said:

‘If the person bathes naked, they will definitely be eaten by crocodiles, for sure. If they wear clothes they will not be ambushed’.

Police chief inspector Talisayan Faisal Hamid, said it was ‘very weird’ to see three crocodiles in the river ‘guarding’ the body as it was returned to shore.

He said:

‘It is also very weird that there were three crocodile emerged from the river, such as they were guarding the body, so the body of [the] victim could be delivered.’

It is indeed estuarine crocodiles in the river. And people also bathe in the water, so again, it is unlucky that he was killed by the crocodile.

The victim, Syarifuddin, had been torn on the right ribs. He was found dead.’

He added that the ‘important thing was that the body had been found’ and that locals were now ‘hunting the crocodile that attacked’ the man.