Kampong on alert over escaped crocs

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Not much exciting happens in Carangpulang kampong in Cikarawang subdistrict, Bogor, but rumors of six crocodiles on the loose have whipped residents into a frenzy of activity.

The excitement began last Wednesday, when a resident, Eman, was preparing to take a bath in Ciapus River, which runs through the village.

"I thought it was a stone, but then it started moving ... I hit it with a bamboo stick and the crocodile fought back," he said.

He called five of his friends and together they captured the beast.

Later in the day they heard the 2.4-meter-long male crocodile was one of seven crocodiles belonging to someone in kampong Laladon, on the other side of the river, which broke out of their cages and escaped into the river.

"The rumor is that the owner has promised a reward of Rp 3 million (US$322) for each of the crocodiles that is captured alive," Eman said.

Young people from the agricultural village, armed with spears, ropes and nets, now spend their days and nights watching the river, waiting for the chance to catch one of the crocodiles.

"Now we cannot go in the river to bathe or wash clothes," said Ponasim, whose husband is among those out hunting the crocodiles.

Cikarawang subdistrict chief Suhandi expressed hope the remaining six crocodiles would be caught soon. "The residents are restless."

Although no one has come to claim the crocodile that was captured and pay the Rp 3 million reward, villagers are still hopeful they will get paid.

Residents feed the crocodile chicken meat they buy with money collected from curious neighbors who drop by to have a look at the reptile.

The crocodile is kept in a simple wire cage erected in the front yard of Jumah, the community unit chief.

"We take good care of the crocodile. We stitched up the wound on its stomach and treated it with an antiseptic," Jumah said.

"We will not move it or hand it over, even to the environmental management agency or animal conservation people, without a payment ... We risked our lives to capture it."

I Gede Gelgel Dharmaputra from the environmental conservation unit at the Bogor Environmental Management Agency told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday officers had tried to move the crocodile to an animal rehabilitation center.

"We tried to convince them that we do not have the money and that it is our job to conserve wildlife, but they refused to let us take it. The best we can do is send veterinarians to check the wound," I Gede Gelgel said.

Enday, one of Eman's friends, made it clear that they did not capture the crocodile for fun and were intent on getting paid for their efforts.

"The crocodile stays ... The officers threatened that they would come back and we could be imprisoned for five years if we refuse to hand over the crocodile to them, but we do not care if there is no payment," he said.