KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife rangers have set up traps to catch the crocodile believed to have killed a villager in the Seguntor River in Sabah's east coast Sandakan district.
Three steel traps have been set in strategic locations along the river close to where the victim's head was recovered on Monday (Sept 12) morning.
The man, known as Abdul in his 50s, was reported missing at 6pm on Friday (Sept 9) after a suspected crocodile attack while he was crossing the river by raft near Taman Kenari.
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Witnesses claimed that they saw him shout for help before he was pulled below the river's surface.
The rest of his body has yet to be recovered.
Sandakan Wildlife Department officer Hussein Muin said they were not only out to trap the killer crocodile but also to reduce the reptiles' numbers in areas close to human settlements.
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He also urged people in the area to remain vigilant.
Sabah has seen a string of crocodile attacks in recent months along rivers particularly on the east coast.
The Wildlife Department has recently allowed individuals and crocodile farm operators to apply for hunting licences in an effort to control the growing population.
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Department director Augustine Tuuga had said it was studying the reason for the increased crocodile-human conflicts, some of which had been fatal.
He did not rule out the possibility that crocodiles' dwindling food sources could be one of the reasons they had begun to attack people.
