Well-fed crocs will not hunt humans, reveals research
KOTA KINABALU: Crocodilehuman conflicts, especially in Sabah’s Kinabatangan area which is a natural sanctuary for the reptiles, can be reduced if the animals have sufficient food sources.
A study by researchers from the Danau Girang Field Centre showed that the maintenance of riparian or riverbank zones plays an important part.
Researcher Luke Evans said well-maintained riparian zones help to keep the predator-prey relationship in balance.
“Large overhanging trees beside rivers play a key role in the nocturnal hunting of macaques by estuarine crocodiles,” he said.
“Crocodile hunting is usually a sit-and-wait strategy.
“The crocodiles want to be ideally placed when the rather boisterous sleeping arrangements of longtailed macaques cause individual monkeys to fall off the tree branches into the river,” Evans said.
“Large crocodiles eat infrequently, so this strategy can be highly effective.”
Centre director Dr Benoit Goossens said well-fed reptiles would not stray from their habitat to look for alternative prey – like humans.
“The study also yielded important data that would help efforts to retain and restore the connectivity of riparian habitats throughout the lowlands of eastern Sabah,” he said.
The study utilised GPS telemetry data and airborne laser imaging of riverbank zones to be collected by the Carnegie Airborne Observatory.
Greg Asner of the observatory said the high-resolution imagery gathered allowed the researchers to determine the macaque and crocodile preferences for areas with large, overhanging trees.