A large crocodile named ‘Butit’ has attracted widespread attention as it is frequently spotted near a fishermen’s jetty in Samalaju, Bintulu.
It is understood that the crocodile’s presence is not unusual as the reptile often appears in the area.
Since last Saturday, viral recordings on social media have shown the crocodile surfacing at the jetty, believed to be waiting for fishermen to throw food.
In the 10-second video, a fisherman can be clearly heard seemingly communicating with the reptile.
“Besar gelombang, sik ada ikan berik dengan kau Butit. Pandei-pandeilah kau beridup Tit.(Big waves, no fish to give you Butit. You better find your own food, Tit),“ the man said.
The crocodile appeared calm as the man recorded the video using his mobile phone.
Tame and ‘friendly’ crocodiles with fishermen are not new in Sarawak, as similar incidents have occurred before in Kampung Jaya Bakti or Loba Cermin in Matang, Kuching.
Although tame and never threatening residents, the crocodile known as ‘Bujang Cermin’ was eventually relocated by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and placed at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre.
This step was taken to prevent unexpected situations in the future as human-crocodile conflicts frequently occur in the state.
According to Harian Metro, a man was found dead after being attacked by a crocodile on a riverbank near Jalan Matang in Kuching, last Saturday.
The victim’s body, Jacob Tuan, 32, was found by search and rescue (SAR) teams at 12.30pm Saturday after he was reported to have been attacked by a crocodile while fishing on the riverbank with several family members around 10pm on Friday.
Padawan district police chief Superintendent Mohd Irwan Hafiz Md Radzi, who confirmed the incident, said the body was intact but showed bite marks on several parts believed to be from the reptile.
