Malaysia reaches snapping point as crocodile encounters rise

For regular anglers in the Malaysian coastal town of Port Dickson, the sighting of a crocodile in the water while fishing near the jetties is nothing new. “I have seen three crocodiles while fishing there,” said Razman Fozi, 33, who has fished in the area for over two years. Most anglers knew the reptiles were there, but it did not deter them, he said. “I’ve never seen a crocodile bother the anglers.” Not everyone has been so fortunate. On May 25, a 62-year-old fisherman survived a crocodile attack while fishing alone at a jetty near Port Dickson. Police said the crocodile seized his left leg at about 4am and dragged him into the river, but he clung to a rock until he broke free and climbed to safety. He was hospitalised with a broken ankle, a fractured toe, multiple cuts and required surgery. Port Dickson, a beach holiday destination in Negeri Sembilan state, has long been a favourite spot for hobbyist fishermen, but increasingly frequent crocodile sightings in its waters are raising concerns about the risks to local communities. Close encounters Crocodile encounters are not new in Malaysia. The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) reported the capture of 334 crocodiles in Peninsular Malaysia since 2024: 130 in 2024, 169 in 2025 and 35 as of May this year, according to local newspaper The Star. While some see the rising numbers as evidence of a growing crocodile threat, experts point to another issue: humans encroaching on rivers, wetlands and coastal areas where crocodiles live. Public safety measures, meanwhile, remain largely focused on sightings, captures and relocation. Under Malaysia’s Wildlife Conservation Act, Perhilitan’s jurisdiction covers Peninsular Malaysia, where crocodiles have been sighted in the Rembau-Linggi and Johor rivers and off Penang and Perak. The Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak operate under their own enactments. Sarawak’s crocodile population is estimated at 25,000, spread across 4,500km (2,900 miles) of river systems, according to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation data. Research by the University of Putra Malaysia found 205 crocodile attacks were reported in Sabah and Sarawak between 2001 and 2020, with Sarawak recording nearly double Sabah’s toll. Large numbers of captures or sightings do not necessarily mean that crocodile populations are increasing, according to experts. “That is a very common assumption by the general public, and we need to understand why this is happening,” said Sai Kerisha Kntayya, a crocodile conservation officer at Danau Girang Field Centre in Sabah. Several factors, including dwindling natural habitats and sources of prey, were driving the rise in human-animal encounters, Kntayya said. “This is why we are seeing a lot more crocodiles in places we have never seen before, and the number is increasing because people are making more and more reports,” she said. Urban legend WWF Malaysia told This Week in Asia that the country’s rivers, wetlands and floodplains were under mounting pressure from urbanisation, infrastructure development and agriculture, degrading ecosystems and pushing wildlife into conflict with humans. Unplanned development within these areas also increased flood risks and reduced the effectiveness of structural flood mitigation measures, the wildlife and environmental conservation body said. “Disruptions to the ecosystem will affect wildlife. They may have limited food resources and less suitable habitat to feed and breed, thus increasing the likelihood of coming into conflict with humans,” it said in a statement. The encounters are not confined to rural areas. A crocodile sighting near Kuala Lumpur’s Mid Valley and KL Eco City malls in February last year sparked a social media frenzy. View on Threads More recently, social media clips showed a crocodile eating what appeared to be a dog on a Port Dickson beach, and a five-metre crocodile captured in Sungai Tatau, Sarawak. Riverside activities heightened the risk of attacks, Kntayya said, as they often placed humans in direct contact with the water and within reach of crocodiles. While authorities such as the wildlife department had been proactive in capturing and reducing the risk of crocodile attacks, public awareness was crucial to avoiding casualties from such encounters, she said. “For example, when fishing in the river, communities can cast their nets from the boats and do not need to be in the water to avoid direct contact with the crocodiles.” Crocodiles captured outside their natural habitats would be relocated back into the wild or to Paya Indah Wetlands in Selangor, Perhilitan told The Star. “It is important for people to understand that crocodiles are part of our natural habitat and there is no way we can eliminate the population of crocodiles. It’s impossible.”

Malaysia reaches snapping point as crocodile encounters rise

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Over 300 have been captured in Peninsular Malaysia since 2024, and experts warn more could follow as humans encroach into crocodile habitats

Close encounters

Over 300 have been captured in Peninsular Malaysia since 2024, and experts warn more could follow as humans encroach into crocodile habitats