MUKAH, July 31: Human remains believed to belong to a missing 14-year-old boy were found in a 4.7-meter long crocodile this morning.
Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) operations center in a statement said a crocodile was found in a trap made by Sarawak Forestry Corporation’s (SFC) Swift Wildlife Action Team (SWAT), and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) near where the victim was attacked.
They used chicken meat as bait to lure the crocodile at 9.15am.
“At 10am, upon seeing a crocodile in the trap, search and rescue (SAR) team with enforcement officers successfully raised the crocodile to the ground and brought to the nearest jetty, located some 3 kilometres away.”
The crocodile was culled during the operation at Sg. Belawai and brought to the Rh Dadat jetty for post-mortem.
“Its stomach was split open in the presence of police and family members. Clothes and human parts were found in the crocodile’s stomach,” the statement said.
However, at the request of family members, SAR operation will continue at 2pm today to find the remaining body parts.
Chief Executive Officer of SFC who is also the Controller of Wild Life, Zolkipli Mohamad Aton conveyed his condolences to the family of the victim and also extended his gratitude to the police, Bomba, JPAM and local community for their assistance in the operation.
He reminded people who live near rivers to be extra careful and not take matters into their own hands.
“Always be on the lookout when near the river bank, avoid swimming in the rivers and please do not throw rubbish or food leftovers in the river as these can attract crocodiles,” he said.
Members of the public are encouraged to notify the nearest SFC offices of any crocodile sightings in their areas. SFC hotlines at the various regions are reachable at 019-8859996/013-8110150 (Kuching), 019-8883561 (Sibu), 019-8223449/019-8332737 (Bintulu), or 019-8224566/019-8290994 (Miri).
On July 26, Ricky Ganya was reportedly attacked by a crocodile while out collecting snails with his aunt and two friends at Batang Serdeng.
Bomba received a distress call at 11.28 am and dispatched a team from the Tanjung Manis fire station to the site of the incident.
The victim’s aunt said she saw a crocodile drag the teenager into the river.—DayakDaily
