NEW STRAITS TIMES (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 29 July 07 New home for captured croc
Malacca: The crocodile trapped by Kelantan Wildlife and Natural Parks Department rangers near the Sultan Yahaya Petra bridge in Kota Baru on Saturday found a new home at the Malacca Zoo yesterday.
The 90kg buaya tembaga (saltwater crocodile), with its legs tied and mouth bound with a sack fastened by rope, arrived here from Kota Baru after a 10-hour journey.
It arrived at the zoo at 7.30am and was sent to the veterinary clinic after the lorry driver spotted a wound on the crocodile.
Zoo director Nawayai Yazak said the crocodile’s back caught a hook while it was trying to snap chicken carcass baits at the riverbank of the Sungai Kelantan.
It joins six male and four female crocodiles at the zoo.
The 2.8m crocodile had attacked a 68-year-old carpenter, Ibrahim Yaakob, a week ago.
Meanwhile in Kota Baru, Ibrahim, whose daily ritual included taking a bath in Sungai Kelantan, has sworn not to do so although the crocodile had been captured.
Ibrahim, who lived in a boathouse moored at the riverside, believes there are more crocodiles out there.
He now takes his bath indoors.
"After the attack, nothing will make me go back in. They caught one but I am certain there are a few more.
"One of my children has seen three crocodiles swimming near our boathouse."
The department’s director, Pazil Abdul Patah, said their observation showed there was only one crocodile in the river.
"We’ve dismantled the net yesterday to avoid trapping and killing other animals in the river."
New home for captured croc