MELAKA: Villagers who were having sleepless nights following sightings of a crocodile in their area for the past week can finally heave a sigh of relief after the reptile was captured in Kampung Tengah, Pulau Gadong in Klebang here yesterday.
The three-metre-long saltwater crocodile was captured using dead chicken in a trap set-up by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
Kampung Klebang Besar Development and Security Committee (JPKK) deputy chairman Hamzah Ibrahim realised that the trap had worked when he saw its door closed.
"While passing by the area where the trap was set up around 8am yesterday, I saw its door closed and there was a crocodile inside.
"I immediately alerted Perhilitan to inform them of the incident before several of their members arrived to capture the crocodile," he said when contacted.
According to Hamzah, the three-meter-long saltwater crocodile was then pulled out of the trap by Perhilitan members.
"We, the residents, feel relieved because this capture can reduce the number of crocodiles in the river," he said.
He added that Perhilitan informed them that the trap would be reinstalled in the river after being repaired.
It was previously reported that a farmer suffered a loss of about RM2,000 when his Boer-breed female goat was attacked by a crocodile while grazing on the riverbank.
Following such incident, Perhilitan conducted periodic monitoring of the river, confirmed as a habitat for the reptile.