‘Nothing special’: Residents near Pandan Reservoir shrug off crocodile sighting
National water agency PUB said it was alerted to the sighting of a crocodile at about 3pm on Thursday.
Overturned kayaks and dragon boats stored on a floating pontoon next to the Pandan Reservoir amenities centre, Aug 21, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: When he heard on the radio that a crocodile was spotted at Pandan Reservoir on Thursday (Aug 20), retiree Mr Ng decided to cycle there on Friday morning to try his luck at spotting it.
But the waters were empty, with barely a fish in sight.
“Only one crocodile, but scared until like that,” the 70-year-old said in Mandarin, referring to the suspension of water activities at the reservoir.
Another retiree who gave his name as Andrew said he walked at the reservoir at around 7pm on Thursday and did not notice anything out of the ordinary.
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“Some people were just walking and some sitting around. As per normal, nothing extra,” he said, adding that he only learnt of the sighting later, when a friend sent him a news report.
The sighting will not stop him from visiting the reservoir, he said. “Nothing special … It’s in the water. I won’t go in the water. If let’s say it’s on land, I can run faster than the crocodile.”
When CNA arrived at the reservoir park near the amenities centre at 11.15am on Friday, the reservoir was mostly empty, apart from a handful of foreign workers resting in the shade of the trees.
The Paddle Lodge, run by the Singapore Canoe Federation, was quiet too, with boats bobbing in the water and stacked on the dock. A scan of the reservoir’s 6km perimeter at noon turned up no warning signs or cordoned-off areas.
SEARCH AND CAPTURE OPERATIONS ONGOING
National water agency PUB said in a Facebook post that it was alerted to the sighting at about 3pm on Thursday and informed the National Parks Board.
The two agencies are conducting search and capture operations in the area, and water activities, including those by the Singapore Rowing Association and Singapore Canoe Federation, have been suspended.
The Singapore Rowing Association said the suspension has affected its members’ training.
“We have shifted our sessions to indoor training as a precautionary measure and advised all our members to strictly observe the suspension and stay off the water and away from the banks at Pandan Reservoir until PUB confirms it is safe to resume,” a spokesperson said.
Resident Mr Mohd Shairunizam, 45, who visits the reservoir regularly, said it is usually quiet at this time of day, with most visitors coming in the mornings, evenings or on weekends. This was his first time hearing of a crocodile sighting there.
“The common one is the monitor lizard. Sometimes when they swim, looks like a crocodile. But if you go closer, actually it’s a monitor lizard. But for this crocodile sighting, I think it’s a new thing,” he said.
He added that he would be “kind of wary”, especially when running along the reservoir bank.
Mr Zhu De Tao, 23, a Chinese student who moved to Singapore a few days ago, had not heard about the crocodile sighting when CNA approached him during an afternoon walk along the reservoir on Friday.
In China, there are alligators in the Yangtze River, but they are usually small, he noted.
PUB has said the crocodile at Pandan Reservoir is likely an estuarine crocodile, based on a photo it had seen. According to the Animal and Veterinary Service’s website, the species is the world’s largest crocodile, capable of reaching lengths of 6m to 7m.
Mr Zhu said the crocodile sighting was “totally fine” with him. “Maybe I just simply take a picture of it and post on TikTok,” he said.
PUB advised members of the public who encounter a crocodile to stay calm and back away, and not to approach, provoke or feed the animal.
It urged the public to heed warning signs and advisory notices posted at areas where crocodiles have been sighted, and to report encounters to NParks at 1800 476 1600 or PUB at 1800 225 5782.
Source: CNA/er(cy)
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