KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife rangers in Sabah’s East coast Tawau district successfully killed a man-eating crocodile on Sunday (July 23) using a process of “deduction and elimination”.
Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, Augustine Tuuga, explained that the rangers had been surveying the crocodile-infested area around Kg Sungai Mas Mas for some time. By using deduction and eliminating smaller crocodiles, they managed to identify the largest reptile within the vicinity as the culprit.
“The one they shot was the biggest one in the search area. It surfaced, they got the right culprit, it was also a bit of luck,” said Augustine Tuuga.
The smaller crocodiles were spared as they were deemed incapable of causing fatal harm to humans.
The rangers recorded a total of around 11-12 juvenile crocodiles in the area, leading them to believe that the only crocodile left was the likely perpetrator of the attack on the missing man. The rangers recovered the crushed body, including the legs, of the victim from the stomach of the crocodile.
The crocodile was spotted approximately 1.5km away from the house where the attack occurred. The 4.29m-long, 800kg male crocodile attacked the victim at around 4am on July 19. Rangers successfully shot the reptile at approximately 10am on Sunday (July 23).
Upon dissecting the stomach of the crocodile, the remains of 60-year-old Addi Bangsa were discovered. Family members confirmed his identity, and his remains have been sent to the hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Search teams conducted an operation covering a 3km radius at the mouth of the river, located 70km from Tawau.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
