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spooky_ninePictured: The boy, 5, who was eaten alive by a crocodile in front of his brother
A boy of five has been eaten by a crocodile in Australia while trying to shoo it away from his boxer puppy.
The killer reptile has been caught but will not be destroyed - at the request of the boy's family.
Jeremy Doble's parents Steve and Sharon run a crocodile-spotting tourism business.
He was last seen 12 days ago playing near the family home beside a flooded mangrove swamp in northern Queensland.
His brother Ryan, seven, said that Jeremy followed the puppy into the water and tried to coax it back to shore, after seeing a crocodile approaching.
Ryan, who witnessed the attack, told police that he saw the crocodile swimming away in the Daintree River moments after Jeremy disappeared.
Police say the boy was eaten by the 14ft beast, named Goldie, who was then trapped in a flooded river.
Forensic scientists were able to confirm the boy's remains were in its stomach after using a special microscope to examine it.
Goldie will now be sent to a crocodile farm or zoo to live out the rest of his days.
It is understood that Jeremy's parents believe crocodile attacks are a sad fact of life in northern Queensland. They say that Goldie was a dominant male in that part of the river and was simply acting on instinct - so he should not be put down.
