Woman in Malaysia hauls in fishing net, finds 3m-long crocodile

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The crocodile was safely captured and handed to the Sabah Wildlife Department.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: REUTERS

KOTA KINABALU - A woman had a terrifying surprise when she pulled up an unexpected catch while netting in a river in Sabah’s northern Kudat district on the night of July 7.

The incident occurred around 10.30pm at Kampung Tungkang in Sikuati, when the woman accidentally caught a 3m-long saltwater crocodile entangled in her fishing net along with her usual catch.

Panicked, she screamed for help, prompting nearby villagers to rush over.

Working together, they managed to haul to shore the reptile, which weighs around 300kg.

According to Kudat Malaysian Civil Defence Force officer Abdullah Sabaruddin, the woman then contacted emergency services via the Malaysia Emergency Response Services 999 hotline.

“A team from the Kudat District Operations Office was deployed immediately after receiving the alert from the Sabah state operations control centre,” Capt Abdullah said in a statement on July 8.

The team, equipped for wildlife capture, arrived at the scene at around 11.06pm to find the crocodile already restrained by villagers.

“For safety and control, our team covered the crocodile’s eyes with a blanket and secured its limbs using two specialised ropes,” he added.

The operation was completed successfully by 1.35am, with no injuries reported.

Capt Abdullah said the crocodile was later handed over to the Sabah Wildlife Department for further action.

He reminded the public to remain vigilant when conducting any activities near rivers or estuaries to avoid similar incidents. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK