Marina East crocodile put down amid safety concerns with proximity to East Coast Park
Tan Kiat How explains in Parliament why relocation and rehoming was not possible, as well as measures in place to reduce public risk
SINGAPORE — The wild crocodile which was found near Marina East Drive last month had to be humanely euthanised, as it posed significant risk to public safety given its proximity to East Coast Park.
Senior Minister of State for National Development, Tan Kiat How, told Parliament on Tuesday (7 November) that euthanasia of the almost three-metre-long crocodile was done by a veterinarian according to international standards.
He added that the crocodile was spotted "about two kilometres away" from East Coast Park, which is a mere 10-minute swim for a crocodile moving at stealth in the waters.
With East Coast Park being a popular destination that receives 7.5 million visits a year, Tan said the authorities concluded that the crocodile had posed a significant risk to public safety.
Tan added that public safety is a major consideration as saltwater crocodiles, like the large adult crocodile found at Marina East Drive, are apex predators and "stealthy, opportunistic feeders" which are known to have attacked and killed humans in other countries.
He referenced reported incidents in September and October, where five crocodiles had to be culled after three suspected attacks in Sabah, Malaysia.
Relocation or re-homing not plausible
According to Tan, the National Parks Board (NParks) had first explored the option to relocate the crocodile to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. However, given the large existing population of 20 crocodiles at the reserve, the reserve "no longer has capacity for more crocodiles".
Moving the crocodile away from the Marina East Beach would also risk it returning to the site, venturing to East Coast Park, or even straying into another area with high human activity along Singapore's coastline.
Mandai Wildlife Group was also unable to re-home the crocodile due to possible negative effects on the zoo’s population planning. Another consideration was whether re-homing would favour the crocodile's quality of life and welfare.
With no feasible option for relocation or re-homing, the crocodile had to be put down in the interest of public safety. "The decision was not taken lightly," Tan said.
Addressing Ang Mo Kio GRC Member of Parliament Nadia Ahmad Samdin's inquiry about whether the government is considering delving deeper into the study of crocodile behaviour, in light of limited local research, Tan stated that regular ecology studies are conducted “at a large scale”.
He added that overseas experts, such as Australia’s Northern Territory, are also consulted "very regularly" as they have "much more experience" in dealing with crocodiles and alligators in their part of the world. Best practices are also adopted from jurisdictions like North Dawson territories, and other parts of the world.
Fences, signs and surveys to mitigate public risk
According to Tan, NParks has installed fences at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to prevent crocodiles from getting onto footpaths. Signs have also been installed to alert visitors of the presence of crocodiles, and to advise them to remain calm and back away if they encounter a crocodile.
In addition, regular population surveys of the reserve’s crocodiles are conducted by NParks. The agency is also exploring the use of technology to track the crocodiles' movement.
The agency will also deepen its collaboration with partners like the nature community and youth leaders from the Youth Stewards for Nature (YSN) programme to promote safe and responsible human wildlife encounters in our city in nature.
"NParks will continue to monitor and carefully manage the populations of local wildlife species to safeguard public health and safety," Tan said.
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