Living Alongside Crocodiles in Sumba
July 7, 2026
Social-Cultural
Communities
Human-Wildlife Coexistence
For many people, crocodiles are associated with dangerous wildlife. However, for some communities in Sumba, the relationship with crocodiles carries a much deeper story. In Pero Konda Village, Southwest Sumba, and Wendewa Utara Village, Central Sumba, people and crocodiles have coexisted for generations. Rivers, estuaries, and coastal areas that serve as crocodile habitats are also important spaces for local communities, where people fish, bathe, wash clothes, and carry out various daily activities.
This shared space means that people and crocodiles live alongside one another in the same environment. Despite the risk of conflict, generations of coexistence have shaped local knowledge about crocodile sightings and behaviour, as well as ways to carry out daily activities more safely around their habitat. In Pero Konda, crocodiles are not viewed solely as a threat, but also as part of the environment that contributes to the balance of aquatic ecosystems and may offer opportunities for ecotourism development in the future.
In Wendewa Utara, the relationship between people and crocodiles also has cultural and spiritual dimensions. Within the Marapu belief system, crocodiles may be understood as representations of ancestors. This close relationship is reflected in the terms nene or apo for female crocodiles and mboku for male crocodiles. These terms reflect a relationship that has developed through generations of living alongside crocodiles.
Crocodiles in Sumbanese Traditional Knowledge
The relationship between people and crocodiles in Sumba offers important lessons for conservation. Protecting crocodiles is not only about maintaining their populations, but also about understanding the communities that live and work in the same habitats. Local knowledge of crocodile sightings and behaviour can provide an important foundation for developing community-based conservation approaches.
However, some traditional values and knowledge are gradually weakening across generations, while human activities in crocodile habitats continue. Traditional knowledge therefore needs to be connected with scientific approaches and more structured risk management.
Community and customary leader involvement, education for younger generations, participatory crocodile monitoring, habitat protection, and stronger village governance can all contribute to these efforts. By bringing together traditional knowledge, scientific understanding, and community safety, crocodile conservation in Sumba can support safer coexistence while protecting crocodiles and their habitats for future generations.
Connecting Traditional Knowledge and Conservation
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Local communities using the river for their daily activities in North Wendewa
A saltwater crocodile resting in its mangrove habitat
These beliefs have also shaped unwritten rules for interacting with crocodiles. Communities recognise customary prohibitions against killing crocodiles or disturbing their habitat, as well as expectations regarding appropriate words and behaviour when people are around rivers. Among the Mamboro community, there is also a customary practice known as Sabhara, which is associated with the belief that crocodiles can embody the spirits of ancestors. These values indirectly influence how communities interact with crocodiles and protect their habitats.