DARO: A 15-foot crocodile was caught in the Batang Lassa River near the Daro ferry point here today.
According to an eyewitness, Jamaludin Sharaee, the reptile was estimated to weigh about 500 kilogrammes.
“The crocodile was caught by two young men from a licensed firm from Sibu,” he said when contacted by New Sarawak Tribune.
Jamaludin also confirmed that the crocodile is dead.
“This crocodile will be brought to Kuching to be reported to the responsible department,” he added.
The picture of the reptile placed on the back of a lorry while in the ferry has gone viral on social media.
On October 3, 2016, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) in Johannesburg, South Africa, allowed crocodiles in Sarawak to be hunted for commercial purposes.
Following the decision, crocodiles are no longer listed as protected wildlife as enshrined in the Sarawak Wildlife Ordinance 1998.
However, poaching activities are controlled and only involve areas with high crocodile populations.
