A total of 292 crocodiles, from large, 2-meter-long adults to babies, at a crocodile farm in Sorong, West Papua, were allegedly killed by local residents on Saturday in an act of retaliation after a crocodile bit a resident, Sugito, 31, who died after the bite.

"His family said that Sugito, who worked at a tofu factory, was looking for grass for his cattle when a local resident heard him shouting for help but [...] Sugito was found dead," Olga, a local resident, told The Jakarta Post.

After Sugito's funeral on Saturday, the local residents went to the crocodile farm to slaughter the reptiles.

‘’The residents used knives to slaughter the crocodiles," Olga said. "The crocodiles were caught and dragged outside and stabbed to death. It was so horrid to see."

The farm is owned by a resident of Sorong, Albert Siahaan.

West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency head Basar Manullang disapproved of the incident.

"The crocodile slaughter violated the law on destroying others' property," he said.

The crocodile farm was run legally because it had an official permit issued by the Environment and Forestry Ministry, he added.

"The permit is legal and the process [to obtain it] in Jakarta took a long [time]. There were steps and requirements to meet, and it was under the authority of the local government. The crocodile slaughter is obviously against the law," he said. (stu)