KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife rangers are not able to act before a crocodile attack, because it is hard to determine or expect where and when an attack is going to happen, says Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga.
Therefore, the public must be extra alert and careful in view of the ongoing crocodile attacks in the state, he added when contacted on Wednesday (Jan 17).
Tuuga said that with the inability to predict when or where an attack is going to happen, attempts to prevent such incidents are also bogged down by limited manpower to patrol rivers, swamps or other areas where these reptiles could be found.
“So we can only do our best and continue what is being done in the department, which is to respond when there are cases,” he said.
Tuuga said as for responding to cases, the department was having quite a field day as well because they only have one designated team comprising four people to handle the reports or crocodile sightings or incidents.
“It is difficult to attend as quickly as we want to. We get reports of crocodile sightings or incidents from areas such as Banggi, Kudat, Pitas, Kinarut, Kawang and Kuala Penyu to name a few, but there is only one team to mobilise. We try our best within our abilities,” he said.
Tuuga said there are also no new measures that can be taken to address the rampant sightings of these reptiles in Sabah, as the current practise of culling attacking crocodiles is the most feasible and sustainable method.
The latest crocodile attack was reported in Banggi Island of Kudat on Monday (Jan 15), where an elderly woman was seriously injured after the reptile snatched and mauled her.
She managed to escape death with the help of villagers.
On Tuesday (Jan 16), Warisan Youth Chief Terence Au urged the government and authorities to take immediate and decisive action against the increasing crocodile menace in Sabah.
Emphasising the urgency, he highlighted the danger these predators pose to villagers, especially those reliant on rivers for daily necessities, including fishing, transportation, and even those residing at water village houses.
He said the situation is no longer confined to remote areas as there are reports of crocodile sightings in the city and even in the sea.
“This escalates the risk, not just for our villagers but for city folks,” Au said, stressing that the safety of the people should be the utmost priority, criticising any complacency in handling this growing threat.
He proposed the formation of a dedicated task force to enforce a comprehensive hunt operation, aimed at curbing the crocodile population.
He the said that as time passes, the crocodile population will only grow and added that this will further endanger lives.
