KUCHING: Sarawak will launch a crocodile monitoring application for the public to monitor the reptiles’ presence.
Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Saleh said this is one of the measures taken to address the crocodile-human conflicts.
He said, by using the apps, the public can check to find out which area is safe and has a high presence of crocodiles when they plan to go for a picnic.
“It is a simple app where locals can report crocodile sightings, which will allow the public as well as the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) to identify the location using coordinates,” he said told reporters at a press conference held at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex here today (Nov 21).
“Apart from that, we are looking into the ‘tagging’ method for research purpose to better understand the animal’s movement and behaviour,” he added.
He said Sarawak’s crocodile population was estimated to have nearly doubled from 13,500 in 2014 to almost 25,000 this year, while there is an average of six crocodile-human conflicts cases reported each year.
Thus, the government also plan to set up crocodile free zones and crocodile sanctuaries; where a crocodile spotted in the free zone area will be culled or removed to a sanctuary, located in a secluded area.
He also said a total 173 permits have been issued for crocodiles hunting, however many were not active due to certain beliefs among the local community.
