By: Niddi Sadarangani
On January 13th, crocodiles from a pond of 200 escaped a farm located in Bulan island, in Batam, Indonesia. The breeding walls of the sanctuary collapsed due to continuous raining and storms that spanned throughout three days.
Image source: CNA, 22 January 2025
The local fisherman had started to hunt and recapture the crocodiles around the area, as their jobs to fish had been compensated for their safety. It has been confirmed that over 34 of the unknown number of loose crocodiles had been caught and brought back, however that had been the number as of January 22nd. Some of these crocodiles also were seen near the homes of the local people and residents.
The scare hadn’t only been for nearby districts and provinces, but also to Singapore. The shortest distance between Singapore and Batam is 12 nautical miles. SG Daily Scoop mentioned that “experts suggest they could potentially reach Singapore,” however it is still uncertain.
The distance between Bulan Island and Sentosa is around 30 kilometers, reducing the chances of sightings in the area. The local officials say the crocodiles don’t have an aggressive nature, as they were regularly fed by the workers. However, the escaped crocs don’t have the workers to feed them, and it has been that way for a couple weeks. It is not impossible that these reptiles would become aggressive.
Saltwater crocodiles can swim between 24 and 29 kilometers an hour according to Google, and because not all of the crocodiles have been recaptured to the breeding farm, it still poses a threat to anything nearby. If calculated, it would take the crocs almost 1 and a half hours to swim from the farm all the way to Sentosa at the lowest speed.
Sources:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nparks-on-the-lookout-for-escaped-crocodiles-from-batam-farm
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-batam-escaped-crocodiles-farm-singapore-4889451
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBiClF0tkDY https://mustsharenews.com/crocodiles-batam/