Tawau district wildlife officer Sailun Aris said officers found the crocodile on Saturday afternoon near Kampung Tg Sapi, where traps had been laid in several places on July 15.

“The crocodile may have been dead for 24 hours after taking the bait before we found it. The victim’s family has been informed of the matter,” he said.

Sailun said the body of the reptile had to be opened up to look for the remains of the victim, Sukrien Jesman Yusoff, following the family’s request.

The officer also believed that the 350kg crocodile was responsible for the death of a woman, Nur Hayati Talib, 50, on June 25, as well as several other crocodile attacks reported in the area previously.

About 13,000 to 15,000 crocodiles were recorded in a state-wide survey carried out by the Sabah Wildlife Department between 2017 and 2020.

This indicated that the population of crocodiles in Sabah has increased 10-fold when compared to the results of a survey done in 1984.

The Kinabatangan, Kalumpang, Silabukan and Klias rivers had the highest number of the reptiles.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said they are now waiting for a final report on the crocodile census to formulate a proper plan to control their population.

Tuuga said the government also needed to wait for a quota to harvest under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Unlawful killing of crocodiles is punishable with a three-year jail sentence and a fine of up to RM100,000.

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