KOTA KINABALU: Motorists in the city were caught by surprise today when they saw a two-metre long crocodile roaming freely in the middle of Jalan Karamunsing near a mall early this morning.

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The reptile, weighing 55kg, was spotted by Annie Cheng, 45, and her friend at about 2am. They initially thought it was a large monitor lizard.

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“We were driving home… and as we move closer for a better look, the animal suddenly opened its huge jaw. That was when I realised it was a crocodile.

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“The croc moved very slowly, oblivious of the motorists or vehicles on the road. We had to signal other drivers to slow down to ensure they don’t run over the animal,” she said, adding they had also contacted the Civil Defence Force (APM) for assistance.

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Five APM personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene shortly and they took about three minutes to capture the animal.

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One of the ‘arresting’ officers, Usman Harto said he believed the crocodile had crawled out of a nearby monsoon drain and ended up on the road after it lost its way.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/11/186137/crocodile-loitering-outside-mall-kk-captured