SINGAPORE: Water activities at Pandan Reservoir have been suspended after a crocodile was spotted there on Thursday (Aug 20) afternoon, national water agency PUB said.

PUB said in a Facebook post that it was alerted to the sighting at about 3pm and it informed the National Parks Board (NParks).

The Singapore Rowing Association and Singapore Canoe Federation were told to suspend all water activities in the reservoir.

NParks and PUB are conducting search and capture operations in the area.

"Signage is also being installed around the reservoir to alert members of the public and advise them to exercise caution," said PUB.

It added that the creature was likely to be an estuarine crocodile, based on a photo it saw.

PREVIOUS SIGHTINGS

There have been several crocodile sightings in Singapore waters this year.

In May, another estuarine crocodile was caught and put down after being spotted off Sentosa Cove. This decision was made due to public safety considerations and a lack of relocation options, NParks said then.

In late January, another crocodile was also spotted in the waters off Sentosa Cove, prompting a week-long suspension of water activities at Sentosa's Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches.

Should one encounter an estuarine crocodile, they should stay calm and back away, and not approach, provoke, or feed the animal.

Members of the public should also heed the warning signs and advisory notices in the vicinity of areas where crocodiles have been sighted.

One may also contact NParks at 1800-476-1600 or PUB at 1800-2255-782 to report an encounter.