Two estuarine crocodiles were rescued from a resident in Gumrih Village, Pekutatan District on Saturday evening after being kept as pets for nearly a decade.
Reports say that the crocodiles had been under the care of the unnamed resident for eight years. As they grew in size, it became increasingly challenging for the resident to provide them with proper sustenance, so they relented and alerted the authorities before the reptiles were eventually handed over to Bali’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA).
Sumarsono, the Head of Section I of BKSDA Bali, stated that the two crocodiles are female, measuring 1.8 meters and 1.4 meters in length, respectively.
“Based on the information we gathered, the resident had been raising these crocodiles since they were small,” he said on Sunday.
Sumarsono added that they evacuated the two crocodiles from non-profit organization Bali Reptile Rescue, which had taken custody of them on behalf of the resident. The official said that the resident likely “got scared” of surrendering the reptiles directly to Bali’s BKSDA, so they asked Bali Reptile Rescue for assistance.
The two crocs have been relocated to a conservation facility with crocodile ponds in Tabanan. While they are under custody, the agency will observe and assess their health before eventually releasing them into their natural habitat in Papua.
BKSDA urged the public to voluntarily surrender any protected wildlife they may possess or have been keeping. If individuals persist in keeping such animals and are discovered by authorities, they will face legal consequences.
According to Law No. 5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Biological Resources and Their Ecosystems, unauthorized possession of protected wildlife can result in a five-year prison sentence and a fine of IDR200 million (US$13,426).
“If they surrender the animals voluntarily, we will accept them and merely provide guidance,” emphasized Sumarsono.
