Human head found in Australian shark

By CNN's Kirsty Alfredson

LORD HOWE ISLAND, Australia (CNN) -- Australian police are preparing to conduct a post mortem examination on human parts, including a head, discovered inside a tiger shark off Lord Howe Island.

New South Wales State police say local fishermen discovered "what appear to be human remains" inside a three meter (10-11 foot) shark off the remote island on Saturday.

The 150-kilogram shark's abdomen contained what could be a human head and an arm or leg bone, Senior Constable John Gerits the only police officer on Lord Howe Island told CNN.

The post mortem will be conducted in Sydney during the week as the grisly find is yet to be transported to forensic laboratories.

Tourist missing

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Locals on Lord Howe Island say a tourist has been missing more than a month. The 72-year-old man has not been seen since being reported missing by his wife.

Police maintain at this stage the two investigations are separate but say "inquiries are continuing" and that they are "keeping an open mind to the victim's identity".

Around 300 people live on Lord Howe Island, which is 770 kilometers northeast of Sydney in the South Pacific Ocean.

The population doubles during the summer when tourists flock to the world-heritage listed island. Tourism is the island's main industry.

Police say the find is the first reported incident of this kind.