Though activities at Lower Seletar Reservoir remain suspended for now, the authorities have captured the crocodile that was first spotted in the waters two weeks ago.
Folks haven’t been able to kayak or fish at the reservoir in Khatib ever since a Public Utilities Board (PUB) contractor spotted a croc on the morning of Feb 14, and a search operation was launched to trap the reptile. According to Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, members of the nature community — including volunteers from the Otter Working Group — joined in the endeavor.
Daily patrols and night surveillance over land and water were carried out to locate the crocodile, while the National Parks Board (NParks) designed and built flotation cage traps.
It took some time, but the team successfully managed to capture the reptile in the wee hours of Saturday morning. It was a pretty big one too — an Estuarine crocodile measuring approximately 1.7 metres long. PUB assures that it has since been translocated into the wild, but the authorities are keeping the Lower Seletar Reservoir closed until they’re certain the waters are safely crocodile-free.
Often spotted at the Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve and various local rivers, Estuarine crocodiles (also known as saltwater crocodiles) are native to our region and inhabit brackish and freshwater areas. According to NParks, the species is internationally classified as endangered due to the destruction of its habitats, over-hunting for its hide (valued as quality leather) and meat, and human persecution.
The biggest saltwater crocodile ever found here — weighing in at 400 kilograms and measuring 3.6 meters long — died on the Kranji Reservoir grounds back in 2014.
Reader Interactions