Crocodile Found Chilling In ECP Drain, Authorities Catch & Relocate It

Crocodile Found In ECP Drain Near Fort Road On 5 Oct

Update (5 Oct): NParks said that the juvenile crocodile is 1.53m long and was relocated to the core area of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve for the safety of the public.

The article has been updated to reflect this.

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Though there have been several crocodile sightings in Singapore, most of them are at nature reserves.

However, a crocodile 1.53m in height was spotted in the drain at East Coast Park (ECP) near Fort Road today (5 Oct).

A man shared about his encounter with the reptile on Facebook group Singapore Wildlife Sightings this afternoon.

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Soon after, the crocodile was captured and relocated by authorities, according to The Straits Times (ST).

Man spots crocodile in ECP drain

On Tuesday (5 Oct), a man took to Facebook to share about his quite literally, wild, encounter with a crocodile in a drain at ECP near Fort Road.

In the video he shared, the crocodile was seen chilling in the drain, seemingly enjoying the cool water on a hot day.

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Though not as big as other crocs typically spotted at nature reserves, it was still worrying since many people frequent the area.

Eventually, the man updated the post saying that the crocodile has been taken away.

He jokingly said it was “sent for Quarantine Order”.

The Facebook post quickly went viral, garnering almost 600 shares at the time of writing.

Captured & relocated by authorities

The 1.53m juvenile crocodile was later captured and relocated to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve for the safety of the public, NParks told MS News.

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Speaking to ST, Ms Kate Pocklington, who authored a book about crocodiles in Singapore, said saltwater crocodiles prefer mangroves.

For that reason, they are typically seen at Sungei Buloh.

Ms Pockllington continued that such Estuarine crocodiles are able to swim in both fresh and saltwater.

As such, they are sometimes found in other locations around our island.

These reptiles are predators high on the food chain and their presence suggests the area has a rich biodiversity that can sustain them.

NPark’s statement is partially reproduced as follows:

“The National Parks Board (NParks) received reports that a crocodile was sighted at East Coast Park on 5 Oct 2021. NParks staff, volunteers and contractors found the 1.53m long juvenile crocodile in a canal near Fort Road. The crocodile was removed and relocated to the core area of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve for the safety of the public. The core area of the Wetland Reserve is not accessible to the public and comprises about 150 hectares of wetland habitats including mangroves and mudflats.”

Inform NParks if you encounter a crocodile

According to National Parks Board (NParks), if you spot a crocodile, stay calm and back away.

If you’re chill, they’ll probably be chill too.

They advised the public not to approach, provoke, or feed these reptiles.

Such sightings should also be reported via the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.

Alternatively, a report can be filed at the Animal and Veterinary Service website here.

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Featured image adapted from Atrez Full on Facebook.