Big catch: Firemen securing one of the reptiles after baiting it out from its hiding spot in Kota Marudu.
KOTA KINABALU: Four crocodiles have been captured from a river along Kampung Marudu Darat in Sabah’s northern Kota Marudu district where a man has been missing since Wednesday.
Three of the reptiles were caught through hook-baiting while another was shot, said Sabah Wildlife Department director Roland Oliver Niun.
He said the crocodiles were between 1.5m and 3.6m in length.
Razis Amat, 35, was swimming with his 17-year-old nephew when he suddenly disappeared on Wednesday.
The teenager escaped but Razis was feared to have been mauled by a crocodile.
Subsequently, a distress call was made at 6.07pm that day and a rescue team was dispatched to the scene, which is about 13km from the Kota Marudu fire station.
A search and rescue operation was launched immediately, with rescuers using water surface search methods.
Villagers also joined in the search.
“However, there is still no sign of the missing man,” said Kota Marudu fire station chief Mohd Hasbi Hajat.
The search operation for the missing man continues.
