Man-eating crocodiles a grisly draw<\/p>\n
A couple of giant crocodiles, killed and stuffed six years ago
\nafter devouring several people, provide a bit of color at the
\nsmall, unpretentious museum that lies in the foothills outside
\nTenggarong.<\/p>\n
Without them, Museum Kayu (Wood Museum), with virtually
\nnothing of interest for the average person, would probably
\nlanguish in the same fate of many of its kind in the country.<\/p>\n
The crocs are the reason people come to the place. In fact,
\nsome people jokingly call it \"Crocodile Museum\".<\/p>\n
The stuffed beasts lie side by side in large glass cases. They
\nhave been put there to serve as a reminder for visitors of the
\ndanger of the aggressive estuarine crocodiles (Crocodilus
\nporosus) that teem East Kalimantan's estuaries, swamps and
\nbrackish areas.<\/p>\n
These ill-fated animals are figures of fear and contempt: They
\nwere culled in a big, action movie-style hunt after the animals
\nate two people in separate incidents.<\/p>\n
The one in the left case is a female crocodile measuring 5.5
\nmeters in length, weighing 200 kilograms when caught and with a
\ndiameter of its abdomen of 1 meter. It was trapped and killed on
\nApril 6, 1996, when its age was estimated at 60 years. Its prey
\nwas a 40-year-old villager named Baddu in Muara (estuary) Badak.<\/p>\n
The other is a larger male, 6.6 meters in length, weighing 350
\nkilograms with a diameter of 1.80 meters at its abdomen and
\nbelieved to be about 70 years. It was trapped and killed on March
\n8, 1996, after it ate a 35-year-old woman, Hairani, in River
\nKenyamukan, Sangatta.<\/p>\n
\"I have often heard of crocodiles savaging humans but I never
\nimagined the beast could be this big,\" said the awed Ferina, a
\nhigh school student from Balikpapan.<\/p>\n
Crocodile attacks remain commonplace in East Kalimantan, and
\nthe two incidents showcased at the museum are only part of a long
\nlist of such tragedies.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 11, 2000, an eight-year-old girl, Eka Sapriana, was
\ngrabbed and swallowed alive by a a crocodile near her home in
\nRiver Teluk Pandan, Sangatta. Bits of her limbs were found inside
\nthe stomach of an animal that was trapped and killed three days
\nlater, local Kutai Timur daily reported.<\/p>\n
In other incidents, attacks inflicted serious injuries on the
\nvictims. Minggus, a 27-year-old fishpond worker, was among those
\nwho were \"fortunate\" enough to escape death from the jaw of the
\nfiery beast.<\/p>\n
Minggus was ambushed by a croc by Muara Pantuan estuary in
\nKutai Kartanegara on her way home from work during the full moon
\nnight of Feb. 16, 2006.<\/p>\n
\"The beast dragged him down to the bottom of the 10-meter-deep
\nriver. Still conscious, Minggus held onto branches of a sunken
\ntree and, miraculously, the crocodile let him go,\" Kutai Baru
\nnewspaper reported.<\/p>\n
With unusually detailed historical description made complete
\nwith clippings of newspaper reports about the events leading to
\ntheir capture, the stuffed giant crocodiles offer a chilling
\nglimpse of a creature that is still much feared in the province,
\nand in other parts of the country.<\/p>\n
Apart from the main attraction of the stuffed crocodiles,
\nMuseum Kayu offers a very small collection of wood products.
\nStill, it is an interesting place to get an idea of things like
\ntraditional Dayak houses and some species of wood in East
\nKalimantan. A set of new wooden and rattan furniture occupies a
\nlarge section.<\/p>\n
But the absence of a regular shuttle bus service keeps the
\nmuseum away from visitors who must rely on erratic public
\ntransportation to go around. The Ojek (motorcycle taxi) is the
\nbest way to reach the place.<\/p>\n
-- Pandaya<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/man-eating-crocodiles-a-grisly-draw-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }