End crocodile killing, animal rights lawyers tell Sabah Perhilitan

 

Sabah wildlife department workers with a crocodile shot dead in Sandakan. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Animal rights lawyers have protested the allegedly “murderous” crocodile culling carried out by the Sabah wildlife department (Perhilitan) in recent weeks, demanding an immediate end to the operation.

Lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh said they found it contradictory that an agency responsible for protecting wild animals was involved in their killing.

“Any crocodile that may endanger human lives should be immediately caught and relocated, as is customary in most countries.

“Why does Sabah Perhilitan, instead of progressively catching crocodiles on a regular basis, go on an occasional murderous rampage?” they said in a statement.

Rajesh and Sachpreetraj said the people “will not stand” for the culling.

“We demand that the killing of crocodiles be halted immediately and for Sabah Perhilitan to carry out the task they have been entrusted with — to protect wildlife and not take the easy way out by killing these poor animals,” they said.

In a report published by The Star yesterday, it was disclosed that Sabah had begun crocodile culling to mitigate the threat of attacks.

Sabah Perhilitan director Augustine Tuuga was quoted as saying the primary objective was culling, not the sale of crocodile meat.

He also said culling began in Papar on Jan 25 and concluded on Jan 27.

Over the course of this three-day operation, 32 crocodiles were culled — 19 in Sungai Kawang, 12 in Sungai Kinarut, and one in Sungai Papar. - FMT