KUALA NERUS – An estuarine crocodile or ‘buaya tembaga’ (crocodylus porosus) weighing 70 kilogrammes was caught by a group of anglers at an abandoned mine in Kampung Ladang Sentosa here, yesterday evening.
Malaysia Civil Defence Force (APM) Terengganu director Lieutenant Colonel Che Adam A Rahman said the 2.3-metre long reptile was handed over to the Terengganu National Parks and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) today.
“The crocodile had tried to grab the leg of one of a group of five anglers who were fishing in the area. The anglers, who were residents of a village nearby, set up a trap and succeeded in catching the crocodile.
“They contacted the APM at 5.45 pm yesterday. We (APM) went to the scene and took the crocodile to the APM office to be handed over to Perlihitan,” he told reporters when met at the Terengganu APM office here, today.
The catching of this crocodile was the first since another was caught in Kampung Seberang Takir in 2017, Che Adam said.
He said the change in the monsoon and the uncertain weather currently forced reptiles such as crocodiles and snakes to seek new habitats as their original habitats were under water.
“We urge the public and recreation enthusiasts such as anglers visiting recreational areas to be careful of the presence of reptiles during this period,” he said.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Perhilitan director, Dr Abdul Malek Mohd Yusof, when contacted by Bernama, said the crocodile would be released at a suitable location soon.
— BERNAMA
