00:01In the dark waters of Sarawak's Kemena River,
00:05pairs of eyes glint in the beam of a searchlight before slipping beneath the surface.
00:10For licensed crocodile hunter Jeffrey Hsu and his team, it is a nightly routine.
00:16Patrolling the rivers after dark, they set baited traps to remove crocodiles
00:21that threaten the rural communities relying on these waterways.
00:25If you count 1,000 meters,
00:27if we go to the Kameena River,
00:31there are more than 200 meters.
00:39Their work brings them to villages like Ruma Panjang Daniel,
00:42where an unwritten rule once prevailed,
00:45leave the crocodiles alone and they would leave people alone.
00:48That belief was shattered when Daniel Mooking's son, Nicholas,
00:52disappeared while fishing for cat food.
00:55His body was found three days later after what authorities believe was a crocodile attack.
01:00If it's like the old people,
01:02if they don't hurt us, we can't hurt them.
01:05It's like that.
01:07It's like me.
01:09If they eat your son, I can kill them.
01:12Daniel wanted to hunt the crocodile himself,
01:15but was denied a license because he did not own a firearm.
01:19If I want to hunt like them,
01:21I really want to hunt a large mountain,
01:23I really want to hunt this mountain,
01:24I really want to hunt.
01:26I want to hunt.
01:27I want to hunt.
01:28I want to hunt.
01:28I don't want to hunt.
01:29I want to hunt.
01:30Human-crocodile conflict remains a serious challenge in Sarawak,
01:34where rivers are central to daily life.
01:37Between 2023 and 2025, crocodiles attacked 33 people, killing 22.
01:44This year alone, nine attacks have been recorded, including five deaths.
01:50Licensed hunters now work with the Sarawak Forestry Corporation and local communities
01:54to remove crocodiles considered dangerous.
01:58Sue said operations have made rivers such as Sebenak and Sarake
02:01much safer after threatening crocodiles were relocated or removed.
02:06A survey conducted between 2022 and 2024
02:10estimated Sarawak's crocodile population at about 25,000,
02:15almost double the figure a decade ago.
02:18But authorities say more crocodile sightings
02:20do not necessarily mean the animals are overpopulated.
02:23To us, when people talk about the overpopulation,
02:27it is basically the perception of people.
02:29Because crocodiles tend to appear within the settlement area for a reason probably.
02:40We assume because of the food, it's very easy for them to get.
02:45Officials say the priority is balancing conservation
02:49with the safety of communities that depend on the rivers.
02:52The population still rely on the river as part of their livelihood.
02:57So in this respect, we have to balance the need for conservation
03:03and as well as the need for humans to carry out their own livelihood as well.
03:09So because of that, we in our Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development,
03:17we are looking at an integrated way how we want to manage these crocodile and human conflicts.
03:23As captured crocodiles are brought ashore, measured and processed,
03:28another industry has quietly emerged.
03:30Their meat is now served in restaurants,
03:33where it has become an increasingly popular delicacy.
03:36For Daniel Mewking, however, the outcome is deeply personal.
03:41Sue's team confirmed they had killed the crocodile believed to have attacked Nicholas,
03:46bringing some comfort to a family still grieving.
03:49medida of the crocodile, the suffering of brought the crocodile andε° as an emperor
03:54interested and amended...
03:58They will gladly have bought.
04:00You
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