Dangerous game: Selangor Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department personnel setting a trap in Section 7, Shah Alam, and personnel binding the crocodile after it was captured. — Bernama
KLANG: The recent appearance of a saltwater crocodile, also known as the estuarine crocodile, in Shah Alam Lake has created a big mystery. Where did it come from?
With no clear indicators or clues to go on, authorities and experts are speculating that the 1.68m-long crocodile could have either strayed from its habitat or was a pet that had been abandoned.
Selangor Wildlife and National Parks Department director Wan Mohd Adib Wan Mohd Yusoh outlined two possible scenarios as to how the crocodile ended up in the lake in Section 7, Shah Alam.
“The lake has five channels connecting it to outside water sources.
Personnel binding the crocodile after it was captured.
“The crocodile may have come through any of these five conduits during a heavy downpour when the waterways were flooded,” he explained.
Alternatively, it could have been released into a nearby river or drain and made its way to the lake from there, he added.
He noted that if the crocodile had been at the lake for some time, other crocodiles would likely have been present as well. However, no other crocodile was found.
Wan Mohd Adib dismissed the possibility that the crocodile had escaped from a nearby crocodile farm, as no such farms are located close enough to the lake.
The crocodile, a protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act, was captured late on Wednesday night and relocated to the Paya Indah Wetland in Dengkil.
Wan Mohd Adib explained that while crocodiles are common in local rivers, they typically avoid humans and are only aggressive when threatened or provoked.
Wildlife veterinarian Dr Lohanthira Kumaar suggested that the crocodile might have come from an illegal breeding facility or was an unwanted pet that had been released.
“From its size, it is still a baby and given that it was there without its family, it was probably released,” he said.
He noted that the quick capture of the crocodile, within about 10 hours of setting the trap, suggests it was raised in captivity rather than in the wild.
Dr Lohanthira also pointed out that estuarine crocodiles are generally found in rivers near villages where there is livestock, as opposed to rivers in urban areas.
He said the saltwater crocodile is the largest crocodile species and the largest reptile.
“It can live up to 100 years in captivity and about 60 to 70 years in the wild,” he added.
Exotic pet store ARP Constrictors manager Sameer Adam said crocodiles are usually not sold in stores as documentation and permits are required from the authorities to handle the species.
“Normally, it’s the elites who keep crocodiles. I don’t know of any regular exotic pet lovers who have crocodiles,” he said.
In March 2017, a stray crocodile was also sighted near the Kota Bridge in Klang.
A crocodile farm owner interviewed then suggested it might have escaped from an illegal breeding facility.
The woman had said licensed farms are required to have deep ponds and a water flow system to prevent crocodiles from escaping, whereas illegal farms often use shallow ponds that are not deep enough to prevent the crocodiles from swimming out during heavy rain and flooding.
