16 February 2009
New Straits Times
(c) 2009 New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad.
PORT DICKSON: A group of bird watchers spotted a rare 2.5-metre salt water crocodile in the Straits of Malacca on Saturday morning, from Tanjung Tuan lighthouse in Cape Rachado.
The Estuarine crocodile (crocodylus porosus) was swimming south, about 20m from the shore. It was spotted at 10.30am and was visible for about half an hour.
Malaysian Nature Society member Khoo Swee Seng said he and his wife, along with two other volunteers, were at the lighthouse to monitor raptors flying across the coast from Pulau Rupat in Sumatra to Tanjung Tuan.
The MNS organises the raptor watch annually.
"We were monitoring the birds returning to their breeding grounds when we noticed something in the water. When we looked closer, we realised it was a salt water crocodile swimming against the current," Khoo said.
Estuarine crocodiles, commonly known as "salties" in northern Australia, are the largest of the crocodile species. They are also found in Southeast Asia.
An adult male can grow to up to 5.8m and weigh from 640 to 1,100kg. The females are much smaller, measuring from 2.1 to 3m.
Salt water crocodiles are extinct in Thailand and Vietnam while in Cambodia, only a few are known to exist. Borneo has a fairly large number, while its population in the Philippines' is reported to be "at risk".
Khoo said the lighthouse staff told him that there had been several sightings of salt water crocodiles over the years.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!