The Head of the Wildlife Division at the Forestry Department Haji Mohd Dinie bin Haji Mahadi along with village heads from Kampong Ayer met with United States (US) crocodile expert Steven G Platt yesterday over lunch to gain a better understanding of the current situation regarding crocodiles in the country.
Haji Mohd Dinie emphasised the need for cooperation from the local community to be involved, especially in ensuring surrounding environments are clean so that monkeys and dogs will not be attracted to the riverbank where crocodiles may be preying on them.
“Crocodiles are most active during the night, dusk and dawn periods, as well as when it is raining. They will also move upstream during high tide or floods; therefore, avoid fishing and stay at least three metres away from the riverbank,” he added. He also conveyed his appreciation to the United States Embassy in Brunei Darussalam for inviting the US speaker to hold a talk on crocodile species management and conservation to help raise the knowledge and capacity of stakeholders.Platt is in the country to conduct a programme on crocodile species management and conservation at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism today.
Beginning in 1998, Platt has worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society on crocodile and turtle conservation issues in various Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand.
He serves as the WCS Herpetologist for Southeast Asia and China, with a particular focus on Siamese crocodiles and Chinese alligators.
During his presentations, he will talk about biology and ecology, as well as non-lethal management techniques, with topics such as population surveys, a community-based crocodile conservation approach, conflict mitigation strategies, case studies and best practices. – James Kon
