LAHAD DATU: The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) here received a total of 31 complaints related to human-crocodile conflicts in the district in 2023.
District Wildlife Officer Silvester Saimin said the number showed a slight decrease compared to 34 in 2022.
However, he said the number of deaths increased by three in 2023 compared to two in the previous year.
“In 2023, a total of 38 crocodiles were shot and three were caught. This shows a significant increase compared to 2022 when 14 crocodiles were shot and one crocodile was caught.
“We also recorded one injury due to crocodile attack last year,” he said.
The SWD had also installed several crocodile warning signs in locations identified as its habitats throughout the past year.
Silvester said traps had also been installed in several sighting areas and continuous monitoring was done to detect the crocs.
“We hope the public, especially those who live near water, will keep their vigilance when doing activities to avoid any untoward incident.
“The public is also advised to contact us or other authorities if they spot a crocodile so that immediate action can be taken,” he added.
