According to wildlife experts in the Malaysian part of Borneo, there are now many more saltwater crocodiles in the region, so they are no longer an endangered species.

The Sabah Wildlife Department told news agency AFP that a survey of the saltwater crocodile population showed there are between 11,000 and 15,000 in the region compared with just 1,000 to 5,000 two decades ago.

The department’s deputy director, Augustin Tuuga, said: "We are pushing to have the crocodile downgraded from the 'endangered' to the 'not necessarily threatened' list on the Convention of International Trade of Species (CITES)."

Mr Tuuga said there is significant demand for crocodile leather goods, but that manufacturers are currently only able to source the crocodiles from breeding farms. Downgrading the status would allow skins to be sourced from the wild.

On a cautionary note, he added: "However, before this can happen we must have an effective monitoring mechanism to keep track of the crocodile population to ensure its numbers do not fall below acceptable levels."