Crocodiles from Samarinda Botanical Gardens Escape
Wednesday, 05 November, 2008 | 18:41 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Samarinda:Thirteen crocodiles from Mulawarman University Botanical Garden in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, escaped yesterday morning, after the walls of their den collapsed. “The walls collapsed because of flooding,” Botanical’s Manager Sarif Effendi said yesterday.

Sarif has asked 15 residents living near the Botanical Garden to help recapture the crocodiles. However, until yesterday afternoon, only seven of them – measuring 4 to 7 meters long - were caught.

Although many of the crocodiles are still loose, Sarif assured that they remain around the Botanical Garden, and have not gone to the residential areas. Residents searched every pond around the crocodile lair, without using any special equipment other than ropes and bamboo.

During the search, the Botanical Garden was temporarily closed to the public and will be reopened after all of the crocodiles are caught. However, local residents fear some might still be near their homes, because the rivers in the Botanical Garden flow to the settlement areas.

A vendor who usually operates inside the Botanical Garden said when the walls collapsed, eight crocodiles headed straight outside. “I’m sure some of them escaped from the Garden,” he said, pointing at a pond that leads to the river.

Located in Tanah Merah, North Samarinda, the Unmul Botanical Garden is a 300-hectare recreation area for Samarinda residents. It was previously a forest which had been turned into a commercial venture. As an added attraction, the manager raised birds, snakes, honey bears, alligators and other animals.

According to Sarif, this year’s flood was the biggest one since the Botanical Garden was opened in 2003. “It will cost hundreds of millions of rupiahs to repair it,” he said.

FIRMAN HIDAYAT