| Hakim Hayat & Noorhamizan Haji Mohd Mosbi |
CROCODILES are perceived as hostile and deadly creatures ready to snap anything on its path with their powerful jaws.
But, for the residents of the Temburong District who are quite familiar with the sight of crocodiles, especially in the banks of the Temburong River, one wild crocodile recently became a hit, appearing on the river bank in Pekan Bangar every evening, waiting to be fed by visitors.
Though the story might seem unbelievable for some in this country where the reptile is largely feared, the seemingly friendly and tame crocodile has won the hearts of many domestic visitors and even international tourists visiting Temburong who would come to the river bank to feed it with different types of food, particularly fresh meat.
Residents said that at almost the same time every evening, the friendly reptile, whose size is said to be in the medium range, will appear at the river bank, while visitors, especially tourists making their way back to the capital on speedboats, will try to catch a glimpse of it and feed it from the river pier.
Although the Temburong River is known to be home to many crocodiles, residents said that only this particular crocodile appears on the river bank almost every day while the rest are rarely seen, especially the bigger ones. According to a Temburong resident, with the influx of visitors coming to lay eyes on the crocodile, the area has become another point of attraction for the district often dubbed as the Green Jewel of Brunei for its untouched wild forests.
However, those who would like to catch sight of the crocodile are warned to do so only at the pier of the river bank and avoid going close to it.
