A reported crocodile sighting at Pandan Reservoir on Aug 20 has turned out to be false after authorities found that the photograph submitted as evidence was unauthentic.
National water agency PUB said on Aug 21 that it had stopped its search operations and lodged a police report over the fake photograph.
“PUB takes a serious view of false information that may cause public alarm and disrupt activities,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
The police have confirmed that a report was lodged and that investigations are ongoing.
The incident began at about 3pm on Aug 20, when PUB was alerted to a possible crocodile sighting at the reservoir. The agency informed the National Parks Board (NParks), while search and capture operations were launched in the area.
Based on the photograph initially provided, authorities believed the animal could have been an estuarine crocodile, a species known to inhabit both the Strait of Johor and the Singapore Strait.
As a precaution, PUB informed the Singapore Rowing Association (SRA) and Singapore Canoe Federation (SCF) to suspend water activities at the reservoir. Warning signs were also installed around the area to alert members of the public.
Activities conducted by the two organisations at the reservoir include kayaking, canoeing, canoe polo, dragon boating and rowing.
With the photograph now confirmed to be fake, PUB said water activities at Pandan Reservoir can resume from Aug 22.
The incident resulted in authorities deploying resources to search for a crocodile that was never confirmed to be present.
The fake report comes amid several genuine crocodile sightings in Singapore this year.
On May 6, a crocodile was spotted in the waters off Sentosa Cove, prompting water activities at Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches to be suspended while NParks and the Sentosa Development Corporation conducted a search.
Earlier, on April 29, a crocodile was spotted near Keppel Bay, prompting NParks to advise members of the public to exercise caution around the water’s edge.
The latest Pandan Reservoir case is now subject to a police investigation, with authorities looking into the circumstances surrounding the fake photograph and how it was circulated.
Image via Facebook
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