KOTA KINABALU: A four-metre crocodile was caught by Gaya island villagers when it 'visited' the island today.
Hanafiah Abdul Hassim, 23, said that at about 2pm today, a man sought help from the villagers when his primary school-aged son was about to be attacked by the reptile.
"The boy was swimming in the sea when he noticed the presence of the crocodile and swam to his father.
"It was then the father alerted the villagers, prompting them to capture the reptile," he said, adding that the crocodile is believed to be the one spotted in Kota Kinabalu waters in a viral video last week.
Describing the crocodile's presence on the island as rare, Hanafiah said that although none of the villagers had any knowledge or skill in catching it, they improvised based on their fishing experience.
He added that the reptile is about 4 metres long and might weigh around 200 kilograms.
"The crocodile became aggressive and tried to bite when the villagers were catching it. But I think because most of the villagers are fishermen, they were brave in handling the reptile by tying its mouth," he said.
Hanafiah said that they also called the authorities and handed over the crocodile at about 7pm.