Scottish tourist 'eaten by shark' as severed hand found inside animal on Reunion Island

A Scottish tourist is believed to have been attacked and eaten by a shark after authorities on the island of Reunion found his severed hand inside the creature.

The hand was found inside the body of a tiger shark (pictured). Picture: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration/ Flickr

The unnamed tourist's hand was discovered, with the wedding ring still on his finger, inside the body of a tiger shark on the Indian Ocean isle on Wednesday.

It's been widely reported the hand belonged to a 44-year-old man from Scotland who had been holidaying on the island with his wife but vanished after going for a swim.

Reunion Island is a French Overseas Territory to the west of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Picture: Google

It is understood the shark was killed because he was considered a threat to holidaymakers on the French overseas territory. The island, which sits on the so-called 'Shark Highway' between South Africa and Australia, has had 10 fatal shark attacks since the year 2000.

An investigating source told The Sun said: "It is feared that the hand belonged to a tourist who was reported missing on Saturday afternoon by his wife.

"The tourist and his wife were spending a week on the island and he had gone out swimming in the Hermitage Lagoon, off Saint-Gilles, alone on Saturday.

"When he did not get back, his wife sounded the alarm, and a full search was launched, involving boats and a helicopter.

"Divers searched around a coral reef in the area, and there were also patrols on land involving sniffer dogs. Sadly, the man could not be found."