The ‘Kraithong Lumnamtapi’ team was last called in to catch the female croc ‘Yanui’, which they trapped in nets near the rocks off Koh Kata, just offshore from Layan Beach, at about 5:30am on July 29, 2018.
Now they have been called in to help track down and catch the crocodile spotted near Saphan Hin last week.
“We have not yet caught the crocodile. We are still looking in the same area where it was seen, but so far we have not been able to find any trace of it,” Phuket Fisheries Chief Narin Meevong confirmed to The Phuket News.
The Kraithong Lumnamtapi team built the steel trap placed where the crocodile was spotted in the hope that it returns. Dead chickens are being used as bait to lure the crocodile into the cage, Mr Narin said.
Nets have been placed at three other locations in the hope of snaring the reptile, he added.
The team also scoured the mangroves in the surrounding area throughout the night last week in search of the crocodile, Mr Narin explained.
“We are still searching the area around the mangroves, and we have expanded our search area to about 10 kilometres from where the crocodile was last seen,” he said.
“We have warned local residents to be careful if they enter the area to catch fish or crabs there,” Mr Narin noted.
“If anyone sees a crocodile in their area, please call the Phuket Fisheries Office at 076-212460,” he added.