KOTA KINABALU: Netizens, especially from Sabah, are alarmed by several videos showing crocodiles off the waters of Kota Kinabalu in recent days.
An X user, @thelast_demigod, posted a 27-second video of a reptile floating not far from a fisherman's boat.
In the video, the fisherman is heard saying: "Don't get angry. Let us be friends, as both of us are looking for food."
Saltwater Crocodile
Be careful at Tanjung Aru, Teluk Likas, and Tanjung Lipat. Don't bring your children to these beaches.@KKCity pic.twitter.com/O8jBHC6xhd— BumiBawahBayu (@thelast_demigod) May 10, 2024
The post, which has garnered about 78,000 views at press time, also included the caption, "Be careful at Tanjung Aru, Teluk Likas, and Tanjung Lipat. Don't bring your children to these beaches."
@Oxfomosa expressed concern about swimming in the sea, now that saltwater crocodiles have been spotted, while @L.Micky Martin remarked that they used to only hear rumours, but now there is video evidence.
Another Facebook user, @Hasriani Abdul Hassim, shared a six-second video of a different crocodile sighting three days ago.
The post warned, "Be careful, guys, near Mamutik. It might swim to Gaya Island."
Comments on the footage include questions like "Where did this crocodile come from?" and "OMG, so scary, it is not safe to engage in water activities now."
As of press time, there has been no official comment from the Sabah Wildlife Department regarding the crocodile sightings.
In 2022, professional diver Richard Swann, who has been diving in Kota Kinabalu waters for more than two decades, stated that crocodiles rarely attack scuba divers.
