KUCHING – A 12-foot male crocodile was found dead in the waters of Bako National Park, not far from a nearby village here yesterday.
The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), in a post on its Facebook page, said the carcass was found entangled in a net installed by the villagers there.
“The carcass of a male crocodile estimated to be 12 feet long and weighing around 150kg was found stuck in a villager’s net in Teluk Asam near Bako National Park.
“The Kuching Regional SFC team subsequently disposed of the carcass in an area in Sg Bako, in addition to taking samples for forensic purposes,” said the SFC in the post.
It said the discovery of the carcass near the residential area could be attributed to improper disposal of food waste in the river.
“In this regard, villagers are advised not to throw garbage, especially food waste, near their homes (into the river).
“In addition, the public are also advised to be vigilant when carrying out fishing or any other activities in the river,” said the post.
It also advised the public to report to the SFC on parties that catch, hunt, trade or keep wild animals listed as protected and fully protected species.
SFC offices can be reached at 019-885 9996 (Kuching), 019-888 3561 (Sibu), 019-833 2737 (Bintulu) and 019-829 0994 (Miri). – Borneo Post Online, January 16, 2023