Sarawak grapples with rising crocodile sightings as communities seek safety

A Sarawak village chief whose son died in a crocodile attack is calling for the animal’s removal, while state officials expand hunting licences and a reporting app to manage the growing reptile population.

In a Sarawak indigenous community, village headman Daniel Muking announced his intent to kill the crocodile he believes killed his son in May 2024. The state’s crocodile population has surged to more than 25,000, after near-extinction in the 1980s, and attacks have resulted in 22 fatalities from 2023 through 2025, with five deaths recorded this year. Deputy Natural Resources Minister Len Talif Salleh emphasized the need to protect riverside residents while preserving the species.

Authorities have begun issuing hunting licences and launched a smartphone app for the public to log crocodile sightings. The Sarawak Forestry Corporation notes that encounters are more common near settlements because the reptiles find food there, and it is working with licensed hunters and locals to move crocodiles away from populated riverbanks. The hunted animal that villagers identified as responsible for Muking’s son’s death was eventually killed, and Muking expressed a desire to consume its meat.