SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) has revealed that it has caught the massive crocodile that was spotted by nature enthusiasts this week and plans to euthanise the creature for the safety of the public.
The massive crocodile was caught on camera by Facebook user CK Lee at Marina East Drive on Tuesday morning (Oct 10) around 8 am.
Mr Lee shared his snapshot of the large reptile on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group. The crocodile in his photo looks like it just swam up the beach and crawled towards the land.
NParks said that the crocodile was quite large, a hefty creature three metres long.
Revealing that the authority has decided to put the creature to sleep, a spokesman said:
“We have captured the crocodile and removed it. The crocodile was found near East Coast Park, a very popular seaside leisure spot. In view of this, the authorities decided to euthanise the crocodile in order to maintain public safety.”
The captured animal is an Estuarine Crocodile that generally lives in both saltwater and freshwater areas and usually appears in water or mudflats away from tourist routes. These creatures are nocturnal and usually come out to hunt at night. These local crocodiles mainly feed on fish.
NParks advises members of the public who come across these creatures to remain calm and slowly retreat from the area. Approaching, provoking, or feeding crocodiles is strongly discouraged, as these actions can lead to dangerous consequences for both humans and the animals themselves.
The authority added that it has placed notices in the area to educate the public on what to do if they encounter a crocodile.