Beast, Guardian, Island

Kate first learnt of the saltwater crocodile’s surprising status in Singapore while restoring a museum specimen that had been shot at the Serangoon River in 1887. This sparked a self-proclaimed “obsessive”, seven-year dig through newspaper archives, public reports and museum records, until she found herself with over 400 records since 1819.

The fruit of her labour is a book that presents a fascinating history of Singapore’s crocodiles, including their folklore, trade, distribution, sightings and human–crocodile interactions. The stories within are ample evidence that wild saltwater crocodiles have lived and continue to live in Singapore.