SHAH ALAM, June 16 — The Selangor Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Peninsula Malaysia are monitoring the area around the flood gate of Sungai Renggam in Section 17 here following a public complaint on the sighting of a crocodile.
Selangor DWNP director Haidar Khan Mokbolhassan said the complaint was officially received via the department’s hotline at 2 pm this evening but the picture of the crocodile had viraled on the social media of the local community since two days ago.
‘’We always check out public complaints whether through the social media or official complaints. Since the picture of the reptile, which was said to have been taken at the flood gate of Sungai Rengam, viraled, we have been to monitor the area several times.
‘’However, there was no sighting of the animal by our team. Currently, I am not able to confirm if there is a crocodile in the area or not and the public in the surrounding need not worry. We are also investigating to determine if the picture of the crocodile was actually taken in Sungai Rengam,’’ he said when contacted by Bernama here today.
But he said, as the water of Sungai Renggam had risen since three days ago following heavy rain, he did not rule out that a crocodile could have entered and exited the river when the flood gate was opened.
Haidar Khan added, Sungai Renggam was one of the tributaries of Sungai Klang and was separated by a flood gate, and it was not impossible for a crocodile to be in the area as Sungai Klang was a known habitat of the reptile.
He said, currently, the department would continue to monitor the area, especially during the period when the crocodile was expected to bask on the river bank, but there was no need to instal a trap at the river.
‘’We will continue to monitor the location for the safety of the public and the welfare of the animal itself. We will set a trap if the crocodile is found to threaten human lives, but if it was said that (someone) only caught a glimpse of the crocodile, there is no need to set a trap because the river is indeed a natural habitant of the crocodile,’’ he added. — Bernama
