KOTA KINABALU - Another unusually large crocodile was encountered in Sabah’s east coast, the Lahad Datu district, on the night of Dec 14.

The crocodile was found behind a villager’s house in Kampung Remang, and later shot dead by Wildlife Department rangers.

This was the second large reptile sighting in four days, the first one being in the Kampung Desa Bajau water village on Dec 11.

But the beast on Dec 14, measuring some 4.8m in length and about 1m wide, was slightly larger than the earlier one, which was 4.5m from snout to tail.

However, the authorities did not confirm the weight of the second specimen. Dec 11’s catch tipped the scales at approximately 1.2 tonnes, the authorities said.

“This crocodile was almost the same size as the one in Kampung Desa Bajau,” Lahad Datu Wildlife Department officer Silvester Saimin said on Dec 15.

He said the authorities rushed to the village after being alerted by villagers.

“Upon reaching the place, we found the crocodile behind a villager’s house.

“Eight shots were fired at it at 10.37pm,” he said, adding that all the shots hit the reptile.

The crocodile’s carcass was then brought to the department’s premises for disposal.

On Dec 11, the crocodile found underneath a home in the village was also killed.

After it almost attacked a child, the animal was restrained by Civil Defence Force personnel, who had to call in the rangers as it became too aggressive.

It, too, was killed after rangers shot it seven times. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK