A 20-minute leisure drive from Kuching, Jong’s Crocodile Farm is the first and largest captive breeding crocodile farm in Malaysia. The farm provides a perfect sanctuary for the reptiles, as well as a few natural breeding ponds for the crocodiles to mate and multiple.
Support your local ecotourism industry
ever since the recovery movement control order (RMCO) came into force on June 10, many economic sectors have reopened including recreational centres. One of the most famous recreational centres in Sarawak, Jong’s Crocodile Farm, recently opened its doors to the public after months of closure.
It is common knowledge that Sarawak is home to the ferocious, man-eating reptile, and crocodile attacks are often reported in the local news, be it at riverside villages in the outskirts or even sightings in urban housing areas.
However, the most famous legend of a crocodile is the formidable Bujang Senang, a giant white-backed monster who terrorised Batang Lupar and its surrounding tributaries. Between 1982 and 1992, it was reported that Bujang Senang is responsible for 14 attacks.
Jong’s Crocodile Farm have a true-to-size statue of Bujang Senang at the entrance and the croc museum accrued not only the skull of the legendary killer croc, but also written records of most of the historic men-eating crocodiles in the region.
Apart from Bujang Senang, other famous kings of the Sarawak river are Bujang Sudin from Gedong and Bujang Semariang. These two mega-sized crocodiles can also be found at the farm located in Siburan, some 29 kilometres from Kuching city centre.
According to the farm’s manager, Teoh Yia Qing, Bujang Sudin was captured and brought to the park in 1988. The fearsome killer now measures about 17 feet long and almost four feet wide. Teoh also shared that Bujang Sudin eats two to three chickens in three times a week.
“Just like Bujang Sudin, Bujang Semariang brought to this park in 2003. When captured, it was measured at 15-feet but now it is over 16-feet long and still growing. Both of them are the main attractions here,” she added.
“In addition to the saltwater crocodiles found in Sarawak, the museum-farm also imports different species of crocodiles from abroad. “We have Alligators from the United States, Broadsnouted Caimans from South America, Freshwater Crocodiles from Australia and so on,” she explained.
Besides that, the farm also houses the Tomistoma crocodile variation (Buaya Julong) which can only be found in Malaysia and Indonesia and is listed as an almost extinct species.
Teoh said that the farm also imported the Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman from Brazil, the smallest crocodile in the world. The South America-native is known for having a dinosaur-like head and is also popular around the world as pets.
According to Teoh, there are also two crocodiles in the park are categorised as being ‘disabled’. One of them does not have a tail while another one is an albino.
Looking back, Jong’s Crocodile Farm was established in 1963 and started with only six crocodiles, including Pak Indon, a male crocodile brought in by an Indonesian trader. When it first came to the farm, the male croc was only a three-foot long juvenile. Now, Pak Indon measures a stunning 18-feet and more than four-feet wide.
Besides crocodiles, the park also houses other animals such as rabbits, pythons, sun bears, Binturong, squirrels, turtles, turtles, hedgehogs, iguanas and many others.
The pond in the middle of the park also houses one of the largest fresh water fish in the world, the Arapaima, that can reach lengths of more than 10 feet and weigh more than 180kg.
In conjunction with the reopening, the visiting public will be given a discount upon admission. Tickets are only RM14 for adults (including foreign tourists) while children under 12 can get in for free until the end of September.
Previously, foreign tourists wil be charged RM24 while children under 12 were charged at RM12.
The public need not worry about as the park complies with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by the authorities.
“We also limit the number of visitors at a time, with only 100 people allowed in to maintain physical distancing.
“However, due to the pandemic, the number of visitors is actually less than 10 a day,” she explained.
“In the past, on weekdays, the number of visitors would normally be around 50 per day and it can reach about 500 per day on weekends.
“Ever since the reopening, we only receive about two visitors a day during weekdays and less than 100 people on weekends,“ she lamented.
According to Teoh, Jong’s Crocodile Farm has more than 1,000 crocodiles that need to be fed with a tonne of chicken meat a week.
Therefore, she pleaded for the people of Sarawak to continue and support the local ecotourism industry, not only to pay the salary of the workers but also to sustain the crocodiles in the park.
