Woman spots large crocodile off Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
A photographer spotted what she assumed was a floating log off the northern coast of Singapore, only to realise it was a large crocodile.
The area is supposedly a hotspot for the reptile, with the woman saying she has previously seen over five crocodiles there in a single day.
Woman initially thought it was a floating log
56-year-old cook Joanne Toh told MS News that she takes walks at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve almost every Sunday, looking for birds and snakes.
Sometime after 5.30pm on Sunday (25 Oct), Mdm Toh and her friend were at Eagle Point, an observation deck that juts out off the coast.
It was low tide, and they spotted something in the distance.
Source: Joanne Toh on Facebook
“At first, me [and] my friend completely mistook it for an ordinary log floating nearby,” she stated.
Then, a passer-by wondered if it could be a crocodile and asked them to zoom in with their camera’s long lens.
Sure enough, it was a large crocodile resting on a small sandbar, allegedly around 400 metres off Singapore’s coast.
Mdm Toh’s friend estimated the reptile to be at least 4.5 metres long.
Photos go viral on Facebook
The photographer posted her shots to the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.
It quickly went viral, with over 7,400 likes and 600 shares as of writing.
One netizen praised Mdm Toh for the nice photo and joked that the crocodile was “border patrol”.
Source: Facebook
Meanwhile, another commenter expressed concern as fishermen used to go into the water in that area.
Source: Facebook
Mdm Toh confirmed this, saying she sees fishermen there often, although during high tide.
Source: Joanne Toh on Facebook
Two other crocodiles allegedly spotted on same day in Sungei Buloh
Mdm Toh said spotting a crocodile in this area was not surprising.
[I was] not surprised to see [a crocodile] at this area, during low tide [I] can spot more than 5,” she told MS News.
Source: Joanne Toh on Facebook
On 25 Oct alone, she said she spotted three of the reptiles.
Earlier, at 4pm, Mdm Toh went to Sungei Buloh’s mangrove boardwalk to photograph the lesser adjutant birds that frequented the spot.
“There [were] two crocodiles [there], [and they] swam away together,” Mdm Toh claimed.
Netizens ask if crocodile photo is AI-generated
Several netizens, perhaps jokingly, also asked if the photos were generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Source: Facebook
Last month, a 30-year-old man was charged for allegedly using AI to generate a photo of a crocodile in Pandan Reservoir.
In response to these speculations, a commenter said Mdm Toh’s photos were legitimate, as they were taken in an area known for crocodiles.
Source: Facebook
Also read: 30-year-old man allegedly uses AI to generate photo of crocodile in Pandan Reservoir, to be charged
30-year-old man allegedly uses AI to generate photo of crocodile in Pandan Reservoir, to be charged
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Featured image adapted from Joanne Toh on Facebook.
