The four-foot (meter-long) reptile was first spotted sunbathing beside the lake the size of a soccer field in Miri city on Borneo island on Sept. 12.
Authorities suspect the freshwater crocodile was dumped there by an owner who lost interest in it. Some Borneo residents keep exotic pets.
Iqbal Abdollah of the Miri Civil Defense Department says officials haven’t snared the crocodile. Work to drain the lake was halted for fear the fish might die.
Iqbal said Tuesday such crocodiles weren’t dangerous because they only ate fish and small mammals. But officials may erect signboards warning people about it.