Limbang hunter kills aggressive crocodile, ends months of terror

LIMBANG (March 3): A villager here snared and killed an aggressive crocodile measuring three metres in length on Sunday.

The adult female, weighing 110kg, took chicken meat set as bait on a fishing line along the riverbank at Kampung Bambangan.

“I caught it and shot it as I am licensed to carry firearms, and the presence of the crocodile had caused much anxiety among residents,” said crocodile hunter Nicholas Rindang.

“It has been preying on livestock, including dogs and pigs, in the village over the past few months.”

He said many villagers had lost animals to the reptile.

“Even fishing activities, which are a source of income for some residents, were affected as nets set in the river were torn and damaged,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

Nicholas recalled that the latest incident was about two weeks ago, when the crocodile took a villager’s dog.

He said the situation was worrying because the crocodile had begun venturing into orchards and residential areas.

“It was aggressive and posed a serious danger,” he added.

He appealed to the relevant authorities to take appropriate action to curb the increasing crocodile population in Sungai Limbang to prevent any untoward incidents.

He added Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) is believed to be currently carrying out operations along the river to cull crocodiles deemed a threat to villagers.

Last December, the Fire and Rescue Department Sarawak warned the public to exercise greater caution following an increase in crocodile attacks and a continued number of missing persons cases recorded across the state in 2025.

Bomba Sarawak director Jamri Masran said eight crocodile attacks were reported in 2025, an increase from six cases in 2024 and three cases in 2023, indicating a rising risk of human-wildlife conflict in Sarawak.

Statistics showed that Sarawak’s crocodile population stood at around 13,000 a decade ago but increased to 25,000 by 2024 despite action taken to cull overpopulation.

In 2016, the status of crocodiles was downgraded to Cites Appendix II, allowing for regulated trade and controlled culling in high-risk areas under SFC permits.