Ask The Residents Of Sikak Riau Village To Share Rooms With Crocodiles, Imbau BBKSDA Information Village Head For Hunting Animal Hours

Illustration of river estuarine crocodiles. (Unsplash- Joshua J. Totten)

RIAU - The Riau Province Conservation and Natural Resources Center (BKSDA) asked the people of Sikak Village to share space and time with crocodiles.

This follows a crocodile attack on the resident of Cerenti District, Kuantan Singingi Regency (Kuansing), Riau.

"The Batang Kuantan River [Sikakak Village] is indeed one of the crocodile habitats in Riau. And to anticipate that there will be no negative interaction between humans and crocodiles, we need to share space and time," said Head of KSDA Region I Andri Hansen Siregar, Monday in Pekanbaru, Riau, Monday, February 20, confiscated by Antara.

His party appealed to residents to avoid activities in the river when crocodiles are actively looking for prey, generally at 17.00-07.00 WIB.

Therefore, Andri asked the village government to put up information boards or banners in areas prone to crocodiles on the banks of the Batang Kuantan river as a reminder, especially during crocodile active hours.

In addition, the people of Sikak Village are expected not to act anarchically against crocodiles because they are protected animals. The team asked residents to always communicate with the Riau KSDA Center if they saw the movement of these animals.

He said the team had gone down to carry out mitigation of the negative interaction of wild crocodiles in the village. On Sunday 19 February, officers from the Riai KSDA Center from the Bukit Rimbang Resort, Region I Section I of Region I coordinated with the Head of Sikak Village, Andri.

"The village head explained to the team that a crocodile had attacked its residents who were bathing in the Batang Kuantan River at that time," he said.

Meanwhile, the victim who was attacked by a crocodile, Amat recounted his moments in the Batang Kuantan River to take a bath. Not long after taking a shower, a crocodile suddenly grazed his right arm. He suddenly reflexically tried to take off the crocodile's bite and managed to escape.

He explained that in the Batang Kuantan River, the Sikak people had been bathing for a long time and looking for fish.

"We hope that the authorities can set traps to catch crocodiles so that unwanted things don't happen," he said.