Not a week passes by without reports of fatal crocodile attacks in Sabah and Sarawak.

The situation has become so bad that last week alone three deaths were reported.

It is time for the state government to consider a major culling of crocodiles as their number have increased drastically, and this can be witnessed in the large number of fatal killings by crocodiles on riverine folk in the two states.

What are the state governments doing when the poor riverine inhabitants are so mercilessly killed when bathing, fishing or crossing the large rivers?

These huge reptiles are terrorizing the people, and the government turns a blind eye to the appeals of the villagers. 

Due to conservation efforts crocs have multiplied in large numbers as they are on the top of the food chain in the rivers.

Crocodiles are known to increase their numbers quickly as they have no natural predators.

Croc hatchlings could be vulnerable for a week or two before they quickly grow in size and eat almost anything in the river.

When there are no large fishes in the rivers due to fishing or having been eaten by crocs the hatchings are in a more secure and safer environment. This explains why the number of crocs increases fast.

Monitor lizards that feed on croc eggs too have been drastically reduced by hunting by the villagers.

A warmer climate helps the cold-blooded crocs to be more active in search of prey.

Even climate change very much favors these reptiles as more areas become flood-prone or waterlogged.

Floods kill a lot of animals and livestock and a plentiful supply of carcasses leads to increase in sizes and numbers.

There are also local cultural taboos about killing the crocodiles, and that also favors their increase in numbers. 

Crocs are also increasing their presence on the Peninsula as there have been frequent sightings of the reptiles along the shores near vacationing spots in Melaka, Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

With regular flooding nationwide during rainy spells, the state governments need to be aware of the danger that the presence of the crocs can pose to the flood victims.

It is astonishing that there are some self-serving conservationists who want to see more crocs in the Klang River and other rivers in Selangor.

The state governments’ priority is the safety of the people. Not the crocs!

Traditional Malaysian folklore abounds with stories of man-eater crocs terrorizing rivers.

Perhaps the most infamous of these was the Sungai Endau crocodile reputed to have killed 112 people during the late 19th century.

The beast, measuring more than 20 ft long, even eluded the British hunters armed with guns.

However, its reign of terror came to an end when an Orang Asli speared the man-eater resting on the river bank, mortally wounding it. A couple of days later the carcass was seen floating on the river. 

Sabah and Sarawak are traversed by numerous large rivers and due to the poor infrastructure, the villagers have to rely on boats for travel.

Most of the riverine folks depend on fishing for an income or for food. Without piped water supplies the villagers—men, women and children—depend on the river for bathing, washing clothes and drinking water. All these exposes them to croc attacks.

The crocs are also known to attack endangered wild animals and there are numerous cases of pygmy elephants—a threatened species—being killed by the huge crocs.

The crocs have become a big threat in Sabah and Sarawak. They are also major threat in Brunei and in Kalimantan. 

Usually, the people will control the threat from crocs by various means including trapping, poisoning or killing and prevent crocs from terrorizing riverine villagers.

However, in Malaysia there are strict conservation laws that protect some species and crocs are one of them. This is the reason for the vast increase in croc numbers, if not the villagers will somehow keep their numbers in check.

As such, it is the government that has to take the responsibility to ensure a balance whereby the villagers are not put in a great risk or danger.

It is heart-wrenching to see small children crossing croc-infested rivers on flimsy boats to go to school, or children playing along river banks being snatched by these monstrous beasts.

What are the Sabah and Sarawak governments trying to prove by playing’ host’ to thousands of these dangerous beasts? These ugly beasts have no touristic value, and by eating the larger fishes they deprive the riverine folk of a plentiful food supply.

One is perturbed by the scant regard the state governments have for the threats to human life.

There have been reports of about 14,000 dog bites in Sarawak since the beginning of 2025. Two deaths from human rabies were reported last week.

Instead of going for a major culling of canine and feline pets and strays in longhouses, the authorities are mollycoddling the strays and turning a blind eye to the problems.

Vaccination is too slow to be effective and more fatalities will occur in the interim. 

The riverine villagers have every right to use the rivers for their needs and purposes without undue risks.

The state governments should stop listening to the lunatic conservationists who value crocs over human lives.

Crocs have become a major threat to the people due to strict conservation, as can be seen in Australia, India and Africa.

There is an urgent need, especially after the spate of croc attacks, to start a major culling process to drastically reduce these reptiles posing a danger to the people.

The state governments’ first democratic priority is towards the safety of the people. The state governments’ first duty is to the people, not the crocs!

(V. Thomas has been regularly contributing to Malaysian newspapers for the last 40 years.)