Survivors report Crocodile versus human in Indonesia
In no other country in the world are there as many crocodile attacks on humans as in Indonesia.
Image: dpa
Again and again, fishermen and local residents fall victim to crocodiles.
Image: dpa
Crocodiles are now frequently found near human settlements in Indonesia.
Image: dpa
The fisherman Jamal barely survived a crocodile attack four years ago.
Image: dpa
A sign warns of crocodiles in the tropical north of Australia. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
In no other country in the world are there as many crocodile attacks on humans as in Indonesia.
Image: dpa
Again and again, fishermen and local residents fall victim to crocodiles.
Image: dpa
Crocodiles are now frequently found near human settlements in Indonesia.
Image: dpa
The fisherman Jamal barely survived a crocodile attack four years ago.
Image: dpa
A sign warns of crocodiles in the tropical north of Australia. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Nowhere else do saltwater crocodiles attack as often as in Indonesia. Just recently, a man was bitten to death while swimming. Where does the conflict between humans and animals come from? Survivors report.
30.03.2025, 15:40
30.03.2025, 15:41
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Nowhere else do saltwater crocodiles attack as often as in Indonesia.
- According to statistics from the independent CrocAttack database, there were 179 crocodile attacks on humans in Indonesia last year alone.
- The reasons for the attacks are manifold.
The memory of that fateful day around four years ago is as vivid in Jamal's mind as if it were yesterday. How could he forget the attack? He still bears the scars from his fight with a saltwater crocodile on his skin today. As so often, the fisherman from the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi had gone out alone in his boat. Then, in the early evening, it happened.
Crocodile climbs onto boat
Off the coast of the provincial capital Palu, a crocodile suddenly climbed onto the boat - and attacked. Jamal was pulled into the water and wrestled with the animal. Somehow he managed to get hold of a knife on his boat. "After a few minutes, I managed to stab the crocodile in the eye, then it let go of me," recalls the now 50-year-old. During the whole time, he tried not to panic, "because then you're lost".
Somehow he made it to shore and received medical treatment. A week later, Jamal was already back at sea. "I can't afford to be afraid, because the sea is our livelihood," he says. But ten bite wounds on his body still tell the story of his struggle for survival.
Dramatic world record
Many are less fortunate: just recently, a 51-year-old man was caught swimming off Palu on Sulawesi - an island between Borneo and New Guinea known for its coral reefs. Rescuers who rushed to the scene finally discovered him in the jaws of a large crocodile. The animal was shot - but the man was already dead.
According to statistics from the independent CrocAttack database, there were 179 crocodile attacks on humans in Indonesia last year alone - far more than in any other country. For 92 victims, the encounter ended fatally. Often the bodies are never found. By comparison, in Australia, whose tropical regions are often portrayed as extremely dangerous, only seven attacks with three fatalities were recorded.
Fight for resources
Fishermen from the region say that they rarely saw crocodiles in the past, but that sightings are now commonplace. According to Amir Hamidy, reptile expert at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), population growth in the world's largest island state and the associated environmental changes are primarily responsible for the dangerous trend.
This is because the crocodiles' habitat is shrinking. "As the crocodile population and the human population are both growing and competing for the same resources, interactions are inevitable," says Hamidy.
Which crocodile species are we talking about?
Indonesia is home to several crocodile species, but most conflicts are with the inguinal crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), also known as the saltwater crocodile. This species is the largest and most dangerous crocodile species and is found throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. The animals can reach a length of more than six meters and are considered aggressive and territorial.
Inguinal crocodiles are also extremely adaptable and thrive in a variety of habitats, from rivers and mangrove forests to coastal waters. "This adaptability, combined with their large range, increases the likelihood of encountering humans," emphasizes Hamidy.
What role do mining and plantations play?
Attacks are more frequent than average in the regions of East Kalimantan on Borneo and Bangka-Belitung off Sumatra. This is due not only to the increase in agriculture, but also to mining activities.
For example, the - often illegal - tin mining in Bangka-Belitung has created many artificial bodies of water. An ideal habitat for crocodiles in search of new hunting grounds. Around 90 percent of the tin exported by Indonesia comes from this province. Numerous prehistoric reptiles have now taken up residence in abandoned pits, says animal rights activist Endy Yusuf.
The construction of canals for palm oil plantations and other changes to waterways have also created new habitats. As a result, the presence of crocodiles in populated areas has increased dramatically. Often with fatal consequences.
Hand bitten off
In the first two months of this year alone, two people fell victim to crocodile attacks on Bangka. Four others were injured. There is also a high number of unreported cases, as many attacks are not even officially reported, says Yusuf.
Arjo, a fisherman from Bangka, also survived an attack in the Nyire River because, according to his own account, he managed to bite the crocodile in the face with his last ounce of strength. After a desperate ten-minute fight, the animal finally let go of him, he says. But Arjo lost his right hand in the fight with the animal.
Hunting banned decades ago
But crocodiles don't just hunt humans; humans also hunt crocodiles. Crocodile meat is considered a delicacy, and crocodile leather is used to make expensive handbags, belts and boots. According to the WWF, numerous crocodile species were hunted so heavily in the past that they almost became extinct.
Indonesia banned large-scale crocodile hunting at the end of the 1990s, as a result of which the population has recovered in many places. However, not everywhere: on the densely populated main island of Java, saltwater crocodiles are practically extinct due to the extensive destruction of their habitat and years of hunting.
Lack of warning systems
On many other islands, however, the armored animals remain a huge problem. In contrast to other countries - such as Australia, where exclusion zones and warning systems help to minimize conflicts between crocodiles and humans - there are no such protective measures in Indonesia.
At the same time, rivers and the sea are the livelihood of many Indonesians and an integral part of everyday life. Crocodile expert Hamidy says: "We have to find ways to coexist while minimizing the risks for humans and crocodiles." However, it is still unclear how this will work.