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 on Sunday, prompting an intensive search for it.
Kota Kinabalu Civil Defence Force (APM) officer Capt Aizex Junior said the crocodile was first spotted in the sea by picnickers at around 8.15am that day. They 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 APM members was dispatched, and the crocodile was later sighted at around 2pm.
“After assessing the situation, SWD officer Jofri Ebrahim fired two shots, hitting the target,” Junior said yesterday.
The shots struck the crocodile’s neck and back.
“The carcass was found near a seawall at Tanjung Aru Beach 3 at 3.30pm on Tuesday,” Junior said, adding that it was later retrieved by SWD for disposal.
He said the crocodile is believed to have originated from the Petagas River estuary.
Saltwater crocodiles can thrive in both freshwater and saltwater environments, including rivers, estuaries, mangrove swamps, lagoons and even the open oceans.
The juveniles can also be aggressive and territorial.
The Petagas River flows into the sea near Tanjung Aru, providing a natural habitat for these reptiles.
