KUANTAN: A three-meter long crocodile sighted in a monsoon drain in Kampung Jawa, here, last night caught the attention of curious onlookers.
State Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Ahmad Azhar Mohamed said the estuarine crocodile (buaya tembaga), could have been pushed into the drain which is connected to Sungai Kuantan during the high tide phenomenon.
"This is a normal occurrence. However, when the Perhilitan team inspected the drain late last night, the reptile was nowhere to be seen. We believe it has returned to its natural habitat in Sungai Kuantan," he said when contacted today.
Azahar reminded residents to immediately contact the authorities if they spot crocodiles in the monsoon drain.
"I was informed that some residents attempted to capture the crocodile from the bridge, which is quite dangerous as they do not have the proper equipment and are not trained to handle such situations. They might accidentally hurt or cause the animal to act aggressively.
"It is always best to alert Perhilitan, and we will send our team to the site to do the necessary," he said.
The 8.30pm incident, which went viral on social media, had attracted many curious onlookers at the scene which caused a major traffic congestion along the single-carriageway stretch.
The police motorcycle patrol unit (URB) was also at the scene to help ease the congestion as motorists opted to leave their vehicles on both sides of the road shoulder near the monsoon drain to catch a glimpse of the reptile.