Malaysia’s Sarawak Grapples with Rising Crocodile Encounters
The state is trying to curb a rebound in crocodile numbers after 22 deaths since 2023 and a survey found more than 25,000 reptiles in 2024.
- The Sarawak state government has begun issuing hunting licences and launched a mobile application for the public to report crocodile sightings to manage the growing reptile population.
- Sarawak on Borneo island has seen a rise in crocodile encounters as the population rebounded to more than 25,000 in 2024, with experts noting they may be attracted to settlements by accessible food.
- Crocodile attacks have caused 22 deaths between 2023 and 2025, with five fatalities this year, though the Sarawak Forestry Corporation noted that attacks have declined compared to 20 years ago.
- For community headman Daniel Muking, whose son died in a 2024 crocodile attack, the licensing move provides closure; Daniel said, "It has eaten my child, so I have every right to kill it."
- Sarawak Deputy Natural Resources Minister Len Talif Salleh said authorities must balance wildlife conservation with community safety as they collaborate with licensed hunters to relocate crocodiles away from human settlements.
16 Articles
16 Articles
After dark, Malaysia's crocodile hunters go to work
Searchlights sweep across the rivers of Malaysia's Sarawak state as licensed hunters track crocodiles in the dark. Their work is part of a broader effort to manage a tension between wildlife and the communities that rely on the water every day.
Crocodile hunter guards the balance between man and nature in the Malaysian countryside. Watch the video on VRT NWS: news.
Ancient Egyptians mummified thousands of crocodiles at Kom Ombo. Modern DNA has finally revealed where the sacred reptiles came from
Rest of World News: For more than 2,000 years, the Temple of Kom Ombo on the banks of the Nile stood as one of ancient Egypt's most important centres of crocodile worship.
Sarawak grapples with rising crocodile encounters
SARAWAK, Malaysia — Villagers in one indigenous community in Malaysia's Sarawak state once lived by an unspoken rule: Leave the crocodile be, and it will leave you alone in turn.But for the community's headman, Daniel Muking, that taboo has now been broken, after his son was found dead following a crocodile attack in May 2024."It has eaten my child, so...
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