This article was contributed by Dennis Wong of Unimas

KUCHING: Sarawak’s riverine communities believe killing a crocodile unleashes bad luck and consuming the meat is even worse as the beast will hunt the culprits down for generations to come.

Despite living in the 21st century, and being surrounded by modern technology and gadgets, many riverine communities in Sarawak still hold tight to this taboo, regardless of which religion they embrace.

“No one dares to take the life of a crocodile and no one would even dare to take their chances with the reptile even if they are armed with a gun,” said Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Crocodile Researcher Mohd Izwan Zulaini Abd Ghani.

Mohd Izwan, currently doing his postgraduate studies in Marine Ecology majoring in crocodiles, hails from Kampung Jaie in Samarahan, known for its crocodile-infested rivers.

Despite having lived as part of a riverine community that swears by the crocodile taboo, Mohd Izwan was of the opinion that it was only right to learn more about the beasts that are feared by those plying the rivers of Sarawak.

“I think that there is a lot we can learn from the crocodiles. They are shy animals that would not attack humans for no reason. Unless they are desperate because they are forced to come close to human settlements, which have resulted in many attacks over the years,” Mohd Izwan said.

There were 52 human-crocodile conflicts reported between 2010 till August this year with 27 human lives lost.

Studies between 1990 to 1999 saw 20 conflicts reported, resulting in 11 people killed. However between 2000 to 2009, there were an overwhelming 43 cases, with 19 human deaths recorded.

Some human-crocodile conflicts during this period also took place along beaches.

“To be fair to the crocodiles, human activities are also to be blamed for this increase (in conflicts). Many remote tributaries, where plantations have mushroomed over the years, have also forced these crocodiles out from their homes. And the bad attitude of throwing kitchen wastes in the river have also attracted crocodiles to human settlements. They too know where to find free food,” said Mohd Izwan.

In October, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) agreed to downgrade the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus) species found in Sarawak from Appendix I, which prohibits the killing of crocodiles for meat and skin to Appendix II, which allows the state to manage the population through culling and trade of crocodile skin and meat.

This announcement was made in the media by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who said the relevant authorities were still fine tuning regulations on the matter, which was expected to be sorted out sometime next year.

The decision was made at the 17th Conference of Parties, CITES in Johannesburg, South Africa early October, making Sarawak, the only state in Malaysia to be able to hunt, kill and trade crocodiles.

Mohd Izwan said being a researcher from a riverine community himself, the decision by CITES was very much welcomed but did not guarantee that other problems would not surface.

“Media reports said locals are given priority when it comes to permits, but will they be brave enough to break the taboo? Will this open up another avenue for opportunists to come into the picture?” Mohd Izwan added.

Among the reasons behind the downgrading by CITES include a surge in the crocodile population there, which Mohd Izwan attributed to the success in conserving the reptile population in the state.

“I can say the state’s effort in protecting the crocodile in the 90s was a success and now we have too many of them. The population estimates may not be accurate but something needs to be done to bring balance to the ecosystem. With the crocodile being the apex predator in the ecosystem, taking them out will also encourage other marine life to prosper within nature’s food chain,” Mohd Izwan said.

Authorities have identified 10 rivers teeming with crocodiles in Sarawak namely Batang Sadong, Sungai Tuang, Batang Krian, Sungai Seblak, Sungai Lingga, Sungai Sebuyau, Batang Lupar, Batang Saribas, Batang Baram and Sungai Bakong where most human-crocodile conflict cases were reported.