KOTA KINABALU: A saltwater crocodile in Sabah's east coast Kinabatangan became the first of its species in Borneo to be fitted with a satellite tag.
The four-metre-long male crocodile named Girang was trapped and fitted with a satellite tag near the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and with the assistance of the Sabah Wildlife Rescue Unit.
“This is the first time in Borneo and possibly in South-East Asia that a saltwater crocodile is tagged with a satellite device,” Sabah Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu said yesterday.
Keepings tabs on Mr Croc: A saltwater crocodile fitted with a satellite tag being taken to the beach in Kinabatangan in Sabah. The crocodile named Girang is the first of its species in Borneo to be fitted with the device.
“It is the start of a long-term research and conservation programme initiated by our department and the DGFC,” Dr Ambu said.
He said the move came about following a Human-Crocodile Conflict conference here in June 2010, which resolved that there was a need to carry out scientific work on the primary cause for the rising attacks on humans by crocodiles.
DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens, who is leading the Kinabatangan Crocodile Programme, said plantations caused a considerable decrease in the overall amounts of prey available, especially for the large crocodiles.
Man-eater monitor: DGFC and Wildlife Rescue Unit staff securing Girang’s powerful mouth before tagging it. – Pictures courtesy of Dr Goossens
“This situation makes for a far more dangerous environment. The realisation of this is that attack rates found near plantations are extremely high compared to forested areas,” Dr Goossens added.
He said by tagging large crocodiles, especially males who were potential man-eaters in plantations and in forest areas, they hoped to monitor the movements of these predators to understand them better.
He said the results would help them provide guidelines for plantation workers and local villagers in order to reduce fatal attacks and contribute to the protection of this very important species for ecosystem health and tourism.
Source: The Star Online
Date: Thursday June 30, 2011
By: Muguntan Vanar
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