KOTA KINABALU: The carcass of a saltwater crocodile with two bullet wounds was found near a seawall at Tanjung Aru Beach 3, two days after Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) rangers shot the reptile.
The 1.2m-long juvenile crocodile had initially gone missing after being shot, prompting tracking operations since the incident on Sunday (March 16).
Kota Kinabalu Civil Defence Force officer Captain Aizex Junior said the crocodile was first spotted in the sea by picnickers at around 8.15am, who then alerted beach personnel.
Due to the sighting, red flags were raised to warn the public against entering the sea or engaging in water activities.
A monitoring team comprising SWD and Civil Defence personnel was dispatched, and the crocodile was later sighted at around 2pm.
“After assessing the situation, SWD officer Jofri Ebrahim fired two shots, successfully hitting the target,” Junior said on Tuesday (March 18).
The shots struck the crocodile’s neck and back, but the injured reptile went missing, prompting an intensive search.
“The carcass was found near a seawall at Tanjung Aru Beach 3 at 3.30pm on Tuesday (March 18),” Junior said, adding that it was later taken by SWD for disposal.
He said the crocodile is believed to have originated from the Petagas River estuary, as monitoring teams had encountered the reptile in the area over the past two days.
“SWD has also confirmed that the crocodile, which went viral two days ago, is believed to be from the Petagas River estuary,” he added.
He urged the public to report any crocodile sightings to the authorities.
Saltwater crocodiles can thrive in both freshwater and saltwater environments, including rivers, estuaries, mangrove swamps, lagoons, and even the open ocean.
Even the juveniles can be aggressive and territorial.
The Petagas River flows into the sea near Tanjung Aru, providing a natural habitat for these reptiles.
