21 Crocodiles Escape Captivity in Palembang amid Flood
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14 April 2022 20:18 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A pack of young saltwater crocodiles had reportedly escaped the captivity located along the Sungai Hitam river in Palembang, South Sumatra after the region was showered by heavy rain and inundated in flood on April 12. The 21 young crocodiles were reportedly to be around one to two meters in length.
The crocodile captivity, PD Budiman, borders the Talang Buluh Village in Banyuasin. It accommodates 82 younger-aged crocodiles in total.
“Our team along with other elements are still on the field to try to recapture [the crocodiles],” said Yusmono, South Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Region I conservation Head on Thursday, April 14.
Teams from the BKSDA, assisted by crocodile catchers looked across the area and confirmed that some of the young crocodiles had escaped captivity. The operation to catch the escaped crocodiles was started on Wednesday, and as of Thursday, they reportedly captured 6 of them and found 2 that have died.
Head of the South Sumatra BKSDA Ujang Wisnu Barata called for local residents to avoid riverside activities in the meantime. He also asserted that the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is a protected species.
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PARLIZA HENDRAWAN (CONTRIBUTOR)
