New Straits Times 10 Aug 13;
KUCHING: Crocodile attacks are nothing new in Sarawak, with its vast networks of rivers and swamps across the state.
But when they strike, the local population will launch an all-out hunt for the reptile. And most of the time, they are eager to find out what lies inside the beasts.
In a crocodile attack in Suai last month, a 34-year-old villager from Rumah Ngumbang, Julai Melina, is still missing after fishing in Sungai Pabong Besar.
The swampy river in Suai is known for its crocodile presence and in a recent survey, Sarawak Forestry Corporation recorded five sightings near the longhouse.
SFC managing director Datuk Ali Yusop said it was important for people living near rivers, where crocodiles were sighted, to understand the reptile.
"Crocodiles are wild and their behaviour is unpredictable," he told the New Straits Times.
With the rising attacks and the hunt-and-kill approach adopted by villagers after each attack, SFC has embarked on the "3M Buaya" programme aimed at educating and promoting a better understanding of the reptile, which is highly protected in the state.
The 3M stands for Mengenali (identify), Memahami (understand) and Memulihara (preserve), which aims to educate the people to live with the reptile.
Most crocodile attacks in the state are carried out by a saltwater species, known as crocodylus porosus. This species is historically known to be widespread throughout Southeast Asia but is believed to be extinct in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia now.
"This is one of the reasons we want to preserve this species here."
Crocodiles have excellent homing instinct and have been known to return to the same spot even after moving long distances, making translocation an impractical option.
