Snappy surprise: Crocodile takes a swim to cross the border between SG & JB

SINGAPORE: A short clip of a crocodile appearing to get ready to cross the border between Singapore and Malaysia has been shared over social media recently, with netizens on both sides poking fun at the large creature from the safety of their screens.

The video, posted on Jan 14 (Tuesday) on the 柔新关卡Both Checkpoint 分享站 Facebook group page by Pugenindran Kumathi, says that the croc was spotted on “Woodland(s) Checkpoint to JB bridge.”

Taken from the bridge itself, the clip shows a large crocodile slowly but steadily making its way across the waters, oblivious to the human activity going on nearby. It has since been shared nearly 700 times, and many commenters appear to be delighted at the crocodile’s cross-border doings.

Estuarine crocodiles, also known as saltwater crocodiles, may be found in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. As these “salties” can grow up to 6 to 7 meters in length, they are the largest crocodile species in the world. The species is known for its long snout and broad, muscular tail with ridges.

According to the website of the National Parks Board (NParks), crocodiles have been seen and captured at the Singapore and Kallang rivers, as well as at the Sungei Seletar and Kranji Reservoirs.  They’ve also been observed in mangrove and prawn pond areas at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Pulau Tekong.

However, the species is considered rare, and its habitat, particularly the estuarine mangrove belt, is under threat. The species is also threatened by “human persecution because of the man-eating tendencies of large individuals,” NParks added. It was listed as Endangered in 1994 and Critically Endangered in 2008.

Commenters on the video, however, had fun with the sighting, with one pretending to ask the croc, “Do you have a work permit? Or are you a PR? If not, you will be arrested for illegal immigration immediately.”

This is not the first time this has happened. In 2022, when the borders between Singapore and Malaysia finally opened after the COVID-19 pandemic, a saltwater crocodile was 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. /TISG

Read also: Borders finally open! Crocodile rejoices as it returns home to Singapore from Malaysia, or is it the other way around?