NParks calls for calm after recent crocodile sightings near Pulau Ubin

The National Parks Board (NParks) has advised visitors to Pulau Ubin to stay calm amid panic over recent crocodile sightings in the vicinity.

Lianhe Zaobao reported on Tuesday (March 31) that residents there spotted the reptiles in the mangroves and swamy areas more frequently in the past month.

A 73-year-old fisherman said that he was fishing for crabs when he saw a crocodile five metres away from him.

He claimed that at least three or four people had seen crocodiles on the island, causing panic among residents.

In a statement on Wednesday, NParks’ group director for wildlife management How Choon Beng said that estuarine crocodiles are known to be frequently sighted in the Strait of Johor.

The largest crocodile species in the world, they can reach lengths of up to seven metres and have a long snout and a broad, muscular tail with ridges.

While they feed mostly on fish, their diet also includes mammals, birds and carrion. They can also move very quickly over short distances on land and in water.

How said that NParks is monitoring the situation and has shared advisories about measures to be taken when planning any water activities in Pulau Ubin.

Upon encountering a crocodile, the public should stay calm and back away, he added.

"They should not approach, provoke or feed the animal."

Any sightings or encounters should be reported to NParks' Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.

On Jan 31, a crocodile was spotted in the waters off Sentosa Cove, causing water activities to be suspended on Sentosa’s Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches for nine days.

In 2023, a three-metre crocodile was put down due to public safety concerns after it was sighted on a beach at Marina East Drive and later found near East Coast Park.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com