A Malaysian woman had a terrifying surprise while fishing in a river in the northern district of Kudat on Monday night, when she accidentally caught a nearly 10-foot-long saltwater crocodile in her net. The woman, who has not been identified, was hauling in her regular catch of seafood when she discovered the massive reptile, weighing around 300kg.
Upon realising what she had caught, the woman screamed in panic, prompting locals to rush to her aid. They helped restrain the crocodile until authorities arrived. Abdullah Sabaruddin, an officer with the Kudat Malaysian Civil Defence Force, told local media that a team was deployed immediately after the woman dialled the emergency services 999 hotline.
“A team from the Kudat District Operations Office was deployed immediately after receiving the alert from the Sabah state operations control centre,” he said. The team captured the crocodile, which was already restrained by villagers, and later handed it over to the wildlife department.
Saltwater crocodiles are common in Malaysian mangroves, rivers, and coastal areas, particularly in the Sabah and Sarawak regions. The incident comes amid a spate of crocodile attacks in the country. On Wednesday, search and rescue teams were racing to find a 58-year-old man believed to have been taken by a crocodile while fishing in Sungai Pandam.
Karim Osman went missing after fishing alone along the riverbank near Kampung Pandam. Authorities found only his fishing equipment and personal belongings at the scene. In June, a fisherman named Jacob Tuan was killed in a similar attack. His father-in-law recounted how the crocodile leapt out of the water and grabbed him by the waist after he pulled on his fishing line.
