KOTA KINABALU: The Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) has launched a two-year project to develop a practical strategy to reduce crocodile-human conflict in Sabah.
The project was set to run from February 2026 until February 2028.
A key part of the effort is installing safety structures in high-risk areas, starting with a Crocodile Exclusion Enclosure (CEE) at Batu Putih along the Kinabatangan River. The enclosure is meant to provide a safer area for river activities where people and crocodiles often share the same space.
“The project adopts a comprehensive approach that combines physical risk-reduction measures, population monitoring and public safety initiatives to reduce human–crocodile conflict while supporting informed, long-term crocodile management in Sabah,” said DGFC Crocodile Conservation Officer Dr Sai Kerisha Kntayya.
Dr Kerisha, who is also the Regional Vice-Chair of the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group, will lead the project.
Batu Putih was selected as the pilot site due to its close proximity to crocodile habitat and the high dependence of local residents on the river.
“The project includes state-wide crocodile population monitoring,” Dr Kerisha said.
She said this builds on Sabah-wide surveys conducted between 2017 and 2019.
The current project will conduct follow-up surveys to track changes over time and expand coverage to three additional rivers along the west coast, she added.
Public safety and awareness form another core part of the project.
“New and improved crocodile warning signs will also be installed,” she said.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, whose department is collaborating on the project funded by Yayasan Hasanah, said it was keen to explore new approaches to addressing human–crocodile conflict.
“This pilot project will prioritise physical mitigation measures at high-risk locations, population monitoring and strong community engagement, awareness and education,” he said.
DGFC director and Cardiff University professor Dr Benoit Goossens, who is principal investigator of the project, said the team would combine physical interventions, updated population data and sustained public engagement over the two-year period.
“Our initiative aims to deliver long-term solutions that recognise both the ecological importance of crocodiles and the safety needs of people living alongside them,” he said.
