Pulau Gaya islanders catch 200kg croc lurking off KK city waters

Civil Defence Force personnel fastening the trapped crocodile on the boat after villagers in Pulau Gaya trapped the reptile.

KOTA KINABALU: A crocodile measuring over three metres was caught by islanders after trying to attack a child in the waters of Kampung Lok Baru on Pulau Gaya, off the city here.

The 200kg reptile, which was believed to have been lurking in the waters off the city for months, was trapped by the villagers at about 4pm on Wednesday (May 22).

Kota Kinabalu Civil Defence Force operations officer, Lieutenant Ezra Daniel Gandui, said the villagers reported the capture of the crocodile and a team of eight personnel from the mainland in Tanjung Aru headed to Kampung Lok Baru.

APM members helped the villagers lift the crocodile to be handed over to the Sabah Wildlife Department.

"The crocodile was more than three metres long and weighed almost 200kg. It was tied up by APM members and transported back to their Tanjung Aru base at about 7pm (Wednesday)," he said on Thursday (May 23).

Ezra said that the the crocodile was first noticed by a child who was bathing in the sea in Kampung Lok Baru.

"The crocodile is said to have tried to attack the child, but he managed to save himself by going ashore and informing the villagers.

"The villagers searched for almost an hour and finally trapped the crocodile," he added.

Ezra advised residents to remain vigilant about the possible presence of crocodiles in the waters.

In recent months, concerns were raised over sightings of a crocodile in waters close to popular tourist islands under the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park off the city here.

Sabah Parks had also stepped up operations to hunt the elusive crocodile, but it could not be immediately confirmed if there were other crocodiles still lurking within the waters off Kota Kinabalu.