Over ambuyat and local cuisine at a quiet riverside lunch, a serious conversation took shape — one that’s increasingly hard to ignore.
📍 With 111 crocodile-related complaints recorded in 2023 and nearly 200 crocodiles captured last year, Brunei is facing an urgent question: Can we coexist safely with these apex predators in an increasingly urbanised environment?
At the table were Forestry officials, local observers, and Dr. Steven Platt of the Wildlife Conservation Society — a silent observer taking in the realities shared by Brunei’s frontline managers.
🔎 What we learned:
51 active traps set in Kampong Ayer
A zero-export policy for wild Crocodylus porosus (CITES compliance)
More community talks are planned, with Tutong next in line
💬 “We blame the government. But aren’t we part of the problem too?” one participant asked.
🇧🇳 Brunei is trying — but the crocodiles are coming closer, and time is slipping away.
#Brunei #WildlifeConflict #CrocodileEncroachment #KampongAyer #EnvironmentalPolicy #CITES #Conservation #KopiTalkWithMHO
By Malai Hassan Othman
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 21 April 2025 — As crocodile sightings and encounters rise alarmingly in Brunei's urban and riverine communities, local authorities, international conservationists, and concerned residents are grappling with one difficult question: Can humans and crocodiles continue to coexist in harmony?
This week, the U.S. Embassy in Brunei hosted American herpetologist Dr. Steven G. Platt for a public lecture and a private dialogue with Brunei's Forestry officials and selected guests.
Ahead of the lecture scheduled for 25 April at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, a smaller lunch took place earlier in the week at PABO Soto, a riverside restaurant.
Over plates of ambuyat and traditional Bruneian cuisine, the discussion naturally shifted toward the growing issue of crocodile encroachment.
With the crocodile-infested Brunei River as the backdrop, the setting provided a fitting scene for a candid yet serious conversation on the country's escalating human-crocodile conflict.
Dr. Platt, a seasoned Wildlife Conservation Society herpetologist with decades of fieldwork across Southeast Asia, listened attentively as Brunei Forestry Department officials and local observers shared vivid, sometimes unsettling, accounts of crocodile encroachments into residential areas.
Although Dr. Platt said little during the session, his attentiveness suggested keen interest in Brunei's unique ecological and social challenges.
The discussion, which overlooked the crocodile-infested Brunei River, opened with a summary by Forestry officials. According to the Wildlife Division, Brunei recorded 111 crocodile-related complaints in 2023, up from 68 the previous year.
Most complaints came from the Brunei-Muara District, where rapid riverside development, the felling of mangroves, and changes in human activity have disturbed crocodile habitats.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines near the riverbanks, community members voiced frustration over what they viewed as ineffective mitigation.
"The crocodiles used to stay away, but now they move closer to homes," said one villager.
"Because of development, fewer people live in the area, and fewer water taxis are plying the river. The river is quieter, and the crocodiles are no longer afraid."
Others blamed indiscriminate waste disposal along riverbanks and dwindling fish stocks for attracting crocodiles.
"Our pets, along with stray dogs and displaced monkeys, are like walking buffets to them," quipped one participant. Another lamented the loss of jogging routes and riverside leisure spots due to rising fear.
As ideas were exchanged over lunch, some questioned how crocodile populations are monitored, what thresholds are used to trigger action, and whether relocation or physical barriers have been effective.
One speaker recalled a once-displayed albino crocodile at a local museum — a haunting symbol of how long the issue has lingered without resolution.
One community member expressed frustration: "We blame the government for not doing enough. But aren't we also part of the problem? We throw rubbish in the river. We feed the imbalance."
Forestry officials noted that 51 crocodile traps have been deployed in Zones 1 and 2 of Kampong Ayer since February, with six captures recorded so far.
In addition, they shared during the lunch that nearly 200 crocodiles were captured last year and placed in a secure facility for monitoring and research purposes.
These figures were previously shared during a public briefing reported by local media and reaffirmed during the lunch discussion.
A similar community talk, modelled after Dr. Platt’s upcoming lecture at UBD, is scheduled for Tutong. The Crocodile Public Safety Briefing for village heads will take place on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at the Tutong District Officer’s Residence. However, they acknowledged limitations in enforcement and public cooperation.
Dr. Platt's presence at the meal was seen as an opportunity for Brunei to tap into international best practices.
Brunei is also a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and maintains a zero annual export quota for wild specimens of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus).
This commitment underscores Brunei's compliance with international conservation standards, even as it struggles with domestic management challenges.
In places like Louisiana, crocodilian management involves a combination of habitat zoning, public education, waste control, and precise relocation protocols.
The hope is that this encounter, while informal, may spark structured cooperation in the near future.
As one participant reflected, the community is not asking for miracles - just the political will and commitment to protect both people and nature.
The conversation underscored the need for holistic, community-inclusive solutions grounded in science, policy reform, and cultural sensitivity.
Whether Brunei can shift from reactive crocodile management to proactive coexistence planning remains to be seen.
For now, the crocodiles continue to drift ever closer, silently reminding us of the urgency to act. (MHO/04/2025)
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