By Saifulbahri Ismail | Posted: 21 February 2012 1950 hrs
SINGAPORE: Sightings of a creature that looked like
a crocodile wading in a river got some residents living in the
north eastern part of Singapore worried.
Channel NewsAsia received a hotline call on Tuesday morning that a
"crocodile" was seen in the Sengkang river, near the H2O
condominium.
The creature -- which looked like a monitor lizard -- was captured
on Channel NewsAsia's camera. It was gliding upstream with its head
above water.
Both the national water agency PUB and animal welfare group ACRES
sent teams to investigate.
When they got there, the creature had fled the scene and no one
could ascertain if it was indeed a crocodile.
The episode led to the question of who should be contacted, if a
crocodile were spotted in a neighbourhood.
Channel NewsAsia ran a check with various authorities and
understands if the reptile was found in a river, a canal, or any
waterway, PUB should be contacted.
The police said if the reptile was found around the HDB estate, the
Town Council should be alerted.
But whether it's in water or on land, ACRES said it stands ready to
respond to any calls of animals in distress.
Crocodiles have been seen in public in the past.
Experts said if the creature spotted in Sengkang river was indeed a
crocodile, it is likely to be a species of saltwater crocodile
commonly found in Southeast Asia.
If members of public see such wildlife, they are advised not to go
near or provoke the creature.
- CNA
