BETONG: An employee of Ladang Lingga near Tanjung Assam was surprised by a crocodile as he was about to start the night shift.
The plantation’s auxiliary police officer, Mohd Hadri Noor Kamal, was walking to his work place when he came across the reptile.
Betong District Civil Defence (APM) officer Desem Samuel said Hadri contacted the APM operations room for help around 11.24pm on Monday (Aug 24).
“Three members rushed to the location and found the reptile trapped on the oil palm plantation road.
“Our team caught the eight-foot crocodile and brought it back to the APM office while waiting for the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) to take it for further action,” he said, adding that the operation ended at 1.48am.
Desem stressed that APM was fully committed to providing assistance to any party regardless of the hours.
“Our members are very dedicated. When others are fast asleep, they are willing to go down to the forest to help, even if it’s just catching animals.”
According to Desem, the reptile, a false gharial, also known as the Malayan gharial and the Sunda gharial, was considered endangered.
In early January, the Betong District APM also caught the same type of crocodile, measuring about nine feet, that got lost in the bushes near the Tanjung Assam Felcra Plantation.
