A mob of angry Indonesian villagers have wiped out about 300 crocodiles nested within a sanctuary for animals; the action was carried out in retaliation for a man who was killed by the crocodiles when he strayed in there.
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The head of the local Natural Resources and Conservation Agency, Basar Manullang confirmed on Monday that the villagers had killed off 292 crocodiles in West Papua Province on Saturday.
The villagers decided to kill all the animals after burying the 48 year old villager who was killed the day before; nobody knows why he strayed in there.
Some of the villagers reasoned he may been gathering vegetables when he fell in the crocodile infested pool while others thought he may have entered to cut grass for his cattle.
According to an employee attached to the animal sanctuary…
“An employee heard someone screaming for help, quickly went there and saw a crocodile attacking someone,”
After the villager’s funeral, dozens of his angry neighbors marched on the sanctuary, armed with knives, shovels, hammers and clubs. Police said they were unable to stop the attack and may press charges against the throng of vengeance-seekers.
The sanctuary is licensed to breed protected saltwater and New Guinea crocodiles both for preservation purposes and to harvest some of the animals for research.
The Indonesian government frowns on the killing of protected species which is a crime that carries a fine or imprisonment in the country.
The Police however want to avoid a showdown between the villagers and Mitra Lestari Abadi; the company in charge of the animal sanctuary and are therefore encouraging mediation between the victim’s family and the company.
The Indonesian government takes its environmental and animal protection laws very seriously. Some of its animal population has dwindled over the years owing to activities of ooachers and smugglers who illegally export them.
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