A large crocodile was sighted in Nusakambangan‘s waters near Kampung Laut, Cilacap regency in Central Java. Residents claim that it was the first such sighting in over 15 years.
“I, myself saw it while lying under mangrove trees on my way back from Kampung Laut to Cilacap,” Kampung Laut district head Nurindra Wahyu remarked.
For two consecutive days, Nurindra spotted the crocodile while he was making his way back home from the office. He had estimated the crocodile to be about 3.5 metres long. The creature had remained stationary when boats were passing by. According to the local administration, the last crocodile sighting was reported by a fisherman 15 years ago.
After the reports surfaced, members of the Indonesian Navy, Natural Resource Conservation Centre, and Water Police started patrolling the area, with the aim of catching the crocodile.
Kampung Laut is home to about 14,000 residents. It is separated from Cilacap city, which is located on the mainland. It takes two hours to travel from Cilacap to Kampung Laut by motorboat. Kampung Laut located near Nusakambangan, a famous security prison in the Cilacap area.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Image: Tempo