Culling crocs the only option for Sabah, says state Wildlife Department director

KOTA KINABALU: Culling crocodiles in areas where they pose danger is the only option left for Sabah wildlife rangers as relocating the reptiles or putting them into farms could no longer be done.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said that crocodile farms were too full and that taking in any more crocodiles while relocating them to other areas could pose a danger to people in other areas.

He said this amidst questions raised on social media that the wildlife department should not have killed a five-metre long crocodile weighing 1.2 tons under a house at Kampung Desa Bajau in Lahad Datu on Monday (Dec 11).

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The crocodile, which almost attacked a child, was initially restrained by Civil Defence Force personnel who had to call in the wildlife rangers as it was too large and aggressive. Rangers shot it dead.

Tuuga said that in the past they sent all captured crocodiles to crocodile farms and they were only required to pay for the hunting licence.

“But none of them (crocodile farms) accept new animals anymore because they have enough crocodiles in their farms,” he added.

He said relocating the crocodiles to other rivers was also becoming difficult as many villagers in such areas did not want reptiles released in their areas.

“Even if it is quite far from their villages, it may pose a danger to them.Of course it is also not good in terms of ecological harmony of the resident crocodile population. There will be territorial fighting in the new environment,” said Tuuga.

“Our best choice is just to cull. It is a difficult decision that we have to make. Any decision is bound to have opposition from people who don’t understand our situation,” he added.

Tuuga said that since 2000, 65 people have been killed and 31 injured in crocodile attacks across Sabah.

This year alone, he said nine people were killed and four mauled in crocodile attacks in Lahad Datu, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau.

In 2022, nine people were killed and eight people were injured in the human-crocodile conflict.