It takes skill and knowledge to capture and handle wildlife

A FEW weeks ago, we learnt of the death of a 6m-long crocodile after it was rescued from a dam in Klang. While the Fire and Rescue Department officers’ intention was good, the death of the crocodile raises a very important question.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is concerned about the fate of a number of large reptiles caught by the Fire and Rescue personnel and Civil Defence Corps in the past, including a massive python that died three days after it was captured. Are our rescue teams well equipped to deal with the capture of large-sized wildlife? From the picture seen of the manner in which the crocodile was hauled up, SAM believes otherwise. Wildlife experts are claiming that pulling up the crocodile in that manner may have caused it to suffocate and its limbs may have been broken due to too much force.