Suspected of attacking boy, 15-foot crocodile shot dead
SANDAKAN: Sabah Wildlife Department (Sandakan branch) shot dead an adult crocodile suspected of attacking and causing severe injuries to a 13-year-old boy on September 10 near Kampung Melayu Mile 8 here.
After being sighted by locals near the IOI Jetty here, Wildlife Department personnel conducted a four-day operation to catch the crocodile.
The operation ended on Thursday at around 5.30pm when the department’s personnel fired nine shots that killed the male crocodile.
According to Sandakan Wildlife Department chief officer Hussein Muin, the operation started on October 15 with four personnel involved in detecting the whereabouts of the crocodile near the IOI and Karamunting jetties here.
The operation continued for two days with no findings until the Civil Defence Department received a call from a member of the public who had spotted a crocodile near Kampung Tanjung Batu here on Wednesday afternoon.
“The personnel went to the scene and managed to fire a shot at the crocodile at 1pm, and another shot at 1.30pm (at the same crocodile). However, the crocodile escaped and disappeared into the water. We then asked for Kampung Tanjung Batu villagers to contact the Wildlife Department if they spot the crocodile again.
“The next day (Thursday) at about 10am, villagers of Kampung Pulau Tanjung Batu claimed to have spotted an injured crocodile near the village jetty. Three wildlife personnel went to the scene at 12.30pm and at 5.30pm. They managed to fire nine shots at the crocodile and it died. They had difficulty shooting as only the crocodile’s mouth was visible on water, and the water was at the time very wavy,” he said.
The crocodile was about 15 feet long. With the help of several villagers, the crocodile was taken on the Wildlife Department’s boat.
“We had no choice but to kill the crocodile as there was difficulty to set up a crocodile trap at the sea; we also needed to kill it for the safety of the public.
“The crocodile was taken to Sandakan Crocodile Farm for its body to be preserved, with collaboration between Wildlife Department and UMS (Universiti Malaysia Sabah),” he added.
During the crocodile attack incident on September 10, victim Arsil Alkamal survived the incident, but suffered multiple wounds on his body and leg, and was given 15 stitches on his right chest, four at his back, five on his thigh and two on his knee.