(MY) catch croc

[Guest guest]

Another bomoh offers to catch croc - New Straits Times*15 Sep 2006*

 

 

------------------------------

*KUCHING: A bomoh, who claims to have caught more than 1,000 crocodiles in

40 years, has offered to capture the man-eater which killed a boy in Sungai

Bako this month.

*

Nyaleh Mandi, 82, arrived at Kampung Bako yesterday and offered his services

to Mohd Azuan Hatta's family.

 

An Iban from Kampung Temelan, Lundu, 100km from here, Nyaleh is the second

bomoh after Cheek Inu, 70, from Kampung Lubuk Punggur, Gedong, to attempt to

catch the reptile.

 

Cheek, who arrived on Sept 6, has since left without success, capturing an

" innocent " crocodile.

 

When its belly was cut open, chicken, and not human remains, were found

inside.

 

Kampung Bako penghulu Sulaiman Othman said Azuan's parents, Hatta Abidin,

36, and Mariah Kipli, 34, asked that Nyaleh be allowed to join the crocodile

hunt.

 

He said village development and security committee (JKKK) and Rela members

allowed Nyaleh and his four assistants to help them.

 

" As the penghulu, I welcome his assistance and thank him, " he said, adding

that Nyaleh had offered his services several days ago but the JKKK and Rela

wanted to give Cheek a chance.

 

Met at Kampung Bako, Nyaleh said he had learnt of the attack the day after

it occurred.

 

" I learnt the trick of taming and catching crocodiles from Pak Jalil, a

bomoh from Banjermasin, western Kalimantan, " he said.

 

Asked whether he would be paid to catch the crocodile, he said all he wanted

to do was help Azuan's family see the crocodile which had killed him.

 

Azuan, 12, a Standard Six pupil of SK Kampung Bako, was crossing Sg Bako

with his friend, Sulaiman Matsakani, 15, when they were attacked by a

crocodile on Sept 3 about 3.30pm.

 

Sulaiman escaped with minor injuries.