Petra Sulai (front row, third from left) with the Perhilitan officers who successfully captured a saltwater crocodile estimated to weigh 400kg.
IT'S NOT every day that a creature as long as a small van makes headlines, but that's exactly what happened in Melaka.
Videos of a daring capture operation went viral on social media, showing the impressive feat of wildlife officers.
Did this massive 400kg crocodile really get caught in Melaka?
Verdict:
TRUE
A saltwater crocodile that had been causing concern among residents in Klebang, Melaka, was successfully captured by Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) officers on Wednesday (Dec 18).
The reptile was caught in Sungai Malim, Pulau Gadong on Wednesday night.
It took over two hours to bring the 400kg, 430cm-long male reptile to land, Perhilitan Director Petra Sulai told reporters on Thursday (Dec 19).
The capture operation began at 6pm and concluded at midnight, using a traditional baiting method and assisted by staff with over 30 years of experience in crocodile capture.
"This is the fourth crocodile caught this year at the same location and is the largest reptile we have captured in 2024," said Petra.
"We always welcome cooperation from the public to provide information if they spot these reptiles in areas like this," he added.
Since Wednesday night, several videos of the operation to bring the crocodile ashore have gone viral on social media.
The public praised the expertise of Perhilitan officers for managing to capture a reptile considered as long as a van.
Sinar Harian reported on May 15 that over 2,500 residents living along Sungai Malim, including Pulau Gadong, had expressed concerns about the presence of five crocodiles in the area in recent months.
This followed an incident where a crocodile was believed to have attacked a resident's goat as it grazed by the river.
Last month, Perhilitan Melaka also successfully captured a male saltwater crocodile measuring 313cm in the same location.
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