Crocodile spotted near Yishun Dam, NParks provides advisory

Stay clear of the waters at Yishun Dam, the National Parks Board (NParks) warned on Tuesday (Jan 7) following a recent crocodile sighting in the area.

The advisory comes after a video clip was uploaded to the Sgfollowsall Instagram page on Monday, showing a crocodile swimming along the edge of a canal near the dam.

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, NParks' group director of wildlife management How Choon Beng said that they were alerted to the crocodile sighting on Monday.

"We are monitoring the sighting and have placed advisory signs around the area to warn public to stay away from the water's edge," How said.

"We have also shared advisories with kayaking operators and stakeholders to stay clear of the waters."

The reptile is likely to be an estuarine (saltwater) crocodile which feeds and rests in brackish and freshwater areas, NParks said. It is typically found in the waters or on mudflats in the Straits of Johor.

The crocodile mainly hunts at night and usually consumes fish, but may also eat mammals, birds and carrion.

Should members of the public encounter a crocodile, they should stay calm and back away. They should not approach, provoke or feed the animal, NParks said.

They should also heed warning signs and advisory notices that have been posted at areas where crocodiles have been sighted.

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This isn't the first time a crocodile has been spotted at Yishun Dam.

Last July, a man shared a minute-long video to the Facebook page Singapore Wildlife Sightings, where a crocodile was seen swimming near Yishun Dam.

While some netizens were amazed by the video, others raised concerns about public safety.

"This is so unsafe. Authorities need to put a signage around this place to warn the public," said one Facebook user.

At the time, NParks had also put up advisory signs to warn the public to stay away from the water's edge.

In October 2023, a nearly 3m-long crocodile was caught at East Coast Park after it was spotted in the waters of Marina East beach.

The reptile was put down due to public safety — it could not be relocated as there was a risk of it returning to the park, How told The Straits Times.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com