Now that the borders are finally open, nature appears to be jumping on the bandwagon. And by nature, we mean a saltwater crocodile, which was recently filmed in the waters off Lim Chu Kang.
A TikToker who goes by @suttheburger on the platform first posted an eight-second video of the croc, nose shining in the sun, swimming determinedly along amid a backdrop of high-rise buildings in Malaysia that provide a stark contrast.
@suttheburger BESAR SIA PUK*M*K #fypシ #sgtiktok #crocodile #wildlife
A number of excited voices exclaiming at the sight of the creature can be heard.
On Facebook, the video was later shared on the Good for You Singapore page, where one netizen estimated that the croc is between three and four meters long.
It also landed on Reddit, where a number of commenters were in awe.
Others joked that the croc is nature’s way of making sure that the otter population in Singapore doesn’t get too big, which some netizens disputed because groups of otters have been known to defeat crocs in other parts of the world.
One Redditor helped to pinpoint the location where the croc was sighted.
Others, it seemed, just wanted to have fun with the sighting.
A few months ago, sightings of a saltwater crocodile at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve went viral, both in late December and early January.
While at Sungei Buloh Nature Park, he said, came across a saltwater crocodile about two metres long, resting by a fence. But as visitors came by, they were “amazed and naturally wanted to take photos, some tried going closer”.
The photographer then warned everyone to move back and give the crocodile its space. Despite his signalling them to wait for the croc to return to the water, several tried walking across.
He wondered if the visitors realised the potential danger they were in, “I really don’t know what’s the hurry to get across. And if anything were to happen, the poor croc might get blamed,” he added.
So he notified the National Parks Board (NParks) of the sighting and stayed at the scene until NParks staff arrived.
“Fully agree with you; everyone should feel fearful of the croc even if its head is sticking out. This is a very strong reptile that can just snack break the fence, and charge quickly to anyone that look like food,” a netizen commented on the post.
On its website, NParks advises people to stay calm and back away when spotting a crocodile. “Do not approach, provoke or feed the animal,” it added. /TISG