While PUB, NParks seek to trap reptile, nature lovers want one for the album
Ang Yiying & Kimberly Spykerman, Straits Times 6 Aug 08;
THE hunt is on for the crocodile spotted in the mangrove swamp near the Tampines River canal in Pasir Ris Park.
The reptile, which was more than a metre long, was first spotted in a mangrove swamp two weeks ago by retiree Ong Wee Lee, 70, a park regular.
Three days ago, he caught sight of it again. His daughter snapped a photograph, which made the headlines in the local media during the past two days.
Working jointly to trap the reptile are the PUB, the national water agency, and the National Parks Board.
Several other 'hunters' are on its trail as well: a mix of curious onlookers and nature lovers all eager to shoot it - with their cameras, that is.
Among the people combing the area for signs of the crocodile yesterday were Mr K.C. Wong and his son.
The 53-year-old civil servant said: 'I wanted to see the crocodile in its natural habitat before someone does something to it. After all, Singapore has so little wildlife left.'
Avid photographer J. Zhang, 32, who had been at the park for seven hours since 9.30am, said: 'I just came to complete my Singapore wildlife collection. Anyway, we have to respect nature and enjoy what we have.
'We should have higher tolerance and be aware of the fact that their presence means we have a healthy ecosystem.'
There have been reported sightings of crocodiles in the wild before. In 1996, it was reported that a three-man team had caught two crocodiles at MacRitchie Reservoir.
One man familiar with the reptiles here is Mr Robin Lee, the manager of Long Kuan Hung Crocodile Farm in Kranji.
He said that he had been called several times over the past few years to catch crocodiles in the wild, once by roping the reptile's neck.
Successfully trapping a crocodile requires experience and luck and he cautioned that the public should avoid going near one.
'You just never know about wild animals,' he said.
There are two crocodile farms in Singapore and neither has any escapes to report.
Mr Lee, whose farm has about 8,500 crocodiles which are bred for their skin and meat, said that the ponds are surrounded by high walls and fencing.
Over at the Singapore Crocodile Farm in Serangoon, which also holds educational tours, supervisor Sharon Neo said they have fewer than 100 crocodiles.
They are well-fed and are kept in enclosures high enough to prevent their escape, she added.
According to experts, the crocodile sighted at Pasir Ris Park is likely to be an estuarine crocodile, more commonly known as the saltwater crocodile.
It is more commonly found in the neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Mr Biswajit Guha, the assistant director of zoology at the Singapore Zoo, said: 'The species can travel in the seas from one island to the next.'
Mr N. Sivasothi, an instructor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore, said that the crocodile could have come from Malaysia or could have been moving around Singapore's north-east.
Experts have advised the public to stay away from crocodiles if they see one.
Mr Sivasothi said: 'They will tend to avoid people and we should do the same.'
The public can call the PUB 24-hour hotline at 1800-284-6600 if they spot crocodiles in rivers or reservoirs.
It's a common species: Experts
EXPERTS say the crocodile sighted at Pasir Ris Park is likely to be an estuarine or saltwater crocodile.
Common in mangroves and rivers in the region, they are one of 23 species of crocodile.
They are also the largest living reptiles and can grow up to 8m long.
Carnivorous, they prey on monkeys, small deer, pigs, monitor lizards, fish, snakes and water birds.
They can be caught by placing nets in the water where they have been seen, or by setting up cages with bait.
ANG YI YING
Traps set for crocodile spotted in Pasir Ris
Ang Ying Ying and Kimberly Spykerman, Straits Times 5 Aug 08;
A HUNT is on for the crocodile spotted in the mangrove swamp near the Tampines River canal in Pasir Ris Park.
The reptile, which was over a metre long, was first spotted in a mangrove swamp two weeks ago on Sunday by retiree Ong Wee Lee, 70, a park regular.
On Sunday, he caught sight of it again and this time his daughter snapped a photograph, which made the headlines in the local media over the last two days.
By Tuesday, traps had been set in the area by officers from the PUB, the national water agency .
Several other 'hunters' were on its trail - a mix of curious onlookers and nature lovers all eager to shoot it, with their cameras that is.
Among the people combing the area for signs of the crocodile were Mr K.C. Wong and his son.
The 53-year-old civil servant, said: 'I wanted to see the crocodiles in their natural habitat before someone does something to it. After all, Singapore has so little wildlife left.'
Avid photographer, J. Zhang, 32, had been at the park for seven hours, since 9.30am said: 'I just came to complete my Singapore wildlife collection. Anyway, we have to respect nature and enjoy what we have. We should have higher tolerance and be aware of the fact that their presence means we have a healthy eco-system.'
