Bung Moktar tells Sabah Wildlife to catch Kinabatangan crocs

KINABATANGAN: The Sabah Wildlife department should be proactive in catching crocodiles in Kinabatangan river.

Kinabatangan member of parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said such action should be taken immediately to ensure the safety of the people.

Last week, a woman who went fishing at the Sungai Kinabatangan at Kampung Tanjung Bulat Sinar Jaya here was eaten by a crocodile.

The remains of victim Norsila Sayong, 32, were found at 6.53am by the villagers about 800 metres from the scene where the victim was attacked by the reptile.

"We want the authorities to take proactive and serious action to deal with this issue to ensure that residents who used the Kinabatangan river either as a daily route or as a location to find a source of daily income through fishing activities are not endangered," he said in a statement.

Bung, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, added that the incident was not the first time as many victims had fallen prey to crocodiles in the Kinabatangan river.

He added that the government needs to take steps by creating regulations or acts as the Sarawak government has done in dealing with the issue of crocodiles which include capturing and killing to reduce population of the species.

Bung, who is also a member of the Lamag State Legislative Assembly, added that following Malaysia's success in downgrading the crocodile category from Appendix I to Appendix II at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) meeting in South Africa, he hoped that the decision would allow crocodiles in Sabah to be hunted as well as traded.

"I hope that a study will be carried out by the authorities on this issue and that we will be able to take follow-up action to reduce the population of crocodiles in the state to ensure the safety of the people, especially those living near the river," he said.

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