KUCHING: The recent crocodile sighting at the Kuching Waterfront has raised concerns over public safety at the popular tourist attraction and prompted calls for authorities to take immediate action.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said the issue must be treated seriously, stressing the need for appropriate measures to safeguard public safety and maintain confidence in one of the city’s key tourist attractions.
“The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) must play an appropriate role in monitoring and dealing with the presence of these reptiles to ensure the safety of the public, especially visitors who often visit the area,” he added.
“Many crocodiles living under the Kuching Floating Mosque have also been captured previously by the SFC and they were later placed at a sanctuary in Matang.”
He said this when commenting on a viral video showing a crocodile appearing in the Kuching Waterfront area after attending a ceremony to commemorate the 200th birthday of Hungarian scientist and traveller, Janos Xantus, at the Sarawak State Library, on Friday (June 19).
According to Abdul Karim, the existence of crocodiles in the Sarawak River, especially around the Floating India Mosque Kuching is well known, but the public need to be vigilant because the animal is a predator that can pose a threat to life.
“From one angle, we can say that it is good for tourism because everyone who comes there will definitely want to see a live crocodile,” he said.
“But we also need to be very careful as they are predators. If there are children in the river, they might end up being a crocodile’s prey.”
He also referred to another video showing a crocodile devouring a pigeon and described it as proof that the reptile is still actively hunting prey.
Commenting further, Abdul Karim believed that the crocodile that appeared in the viral video was likely a new reptile since many crocodiles had been caught in the same area before.
