KUANTAN: A video of a huge crocodile spotted roaming through a flooded road in Kampung Air Hitam near Sri Damai here last night has left villagers horrified.
The reptile is believed to have made its way onto the road through a nearby flooded river. A motorist, who was driving along the stretch captured the video.
The 30-second video, which has gone viral shows the crocodile wading slowly through the water in the middle of the road before slowly moving towards nearby bushes after realising the presence of the vehicle.
Tanjung Lumpur assemblyman Rosli Abdul Jabar, who shared the video clip on his Facebook page, said the footage was forwarded to him by a villager last night.
"The video was recorded at Kampung Air Hitam in Seri Damai. Some sections in Sri Damai were already inundated due to heavy rain yesterday.
"The crocodile might be from Sungai Belat, where the rising waters caused the animal to swim out of the river into the other nearby connecting rivers before it entered the main road," Rosli said when contacted by the New Straits Times.
He said crocodiles were occasionally spotted swimming in the rivers in the area, but no one has seen such a huge specimen of the reptile.
Meanwhile, Pahang Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Rozidan Md Yasin confirmed the video as genuine; and advised the public, especially children not to wade through flood waters.
"Sungai Kuantan and Sungai Belat are the reptiles' habitat. The river near Air Hitam ( where the reptile was spotted) connects to Sungai Belat," he said.
Netizens took to social media to express their concerns about the size of the crocodile and reminded those living nearby to be extra careful.