KOTA KINABALU (ANN/THE STAR) – In Sabah’s Lahad Datu district, a remarkably large crocodile, measuring 4.8 metres in length and one metre in width, was discovered behind a villager’s house in Kampung Remang.
Wildlife Department rangers later shot the crocodile, marking the second such sighting in four days. This comes after another large reptile, slightly smaller at 4.5m, was spotted in the Kampung Desa Bajau water village on Monday.
While the weight of the latest specimen was not confirmed, Monday’s crocodile weighed around 1.2 tonnes, as reported by authorities.
“This crocodile was almost the same size as the one in Kampung Desa Bajau,” Lahad Datu Wildlife Department officer Silvester Saimin said on Friday.
He said they rushed to the village after being alerted by villagers.
“Upon reaching the place, we found the crocodile behind a villager’s house.
“Eight shots were fired at it at 10.37pm,” he said, adding that all the shots hit the reptile. The crocodile’s carcass was then brought to the department’s premises for disposal.
On Monday, the crocodile found underneath a home at the water village was also killed.
After it almost attacked a child, the animal was initially restrained by Civil Defence Force personnel who had to call in the rangers as it became too aggressive.
It, too, was killed after rangers shot it seven times.
