Crocodile spotted at Yishun Dam again—second sighting in six months

A saltwater crocodile was filmed gliding along a canal near Yishun Dam on January 6, 2025, prompting the National Parks Board to issue a public advisory and install warning signs around the waterway. The sighting marks the second confirmed crocodile encounter in the Yishun area since July 2024, when a viral Facebook video captured another estuarine crocodile cruising through the same dam—a location that straddles the freshwater Lower Seletar Reservoir and the saltwater Johor Strait.

In the January footage, pedestrians were observed walking and relaxing near the water's edge, apparently unaware of the reptile's presence. NParks cautioned the public to maintain distance from the water and avoid provoking or feeding the animal. The July sighting, posted by Facebook user Wilson Toh on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group, generated over 1,000 shares and sparked widespread public concern.

Crocodile sightings in Yishun are not unprecedented. A 1.7-metre specimen was documented at Lower Seletar Reservoir in 2019, and another saltwater crocodile spotted at Marina East Drive in 2023 was subsequently euthanised by NParks due to public safety risks. Singapore's only native crocodile species is the estuarine (saltwater) crocodile, which can reach lengths exceeding 6 metres and typically inhabit coastal areas, rivers, estuaries, and wetlands. Despite their presence, no documented crocodile attacks on humans have occurred in Singapore to date.

• 09 Jul 2024secretsingapore.co