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Failed “Forest City” Mega-Project Is Now Reportedly Filled With Crocodiles
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Failed “Forest City” Mega-Project Is Now Reportedly Filled With Crocodiles

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In 2016, Chinese property developer Country Garden unveiled Forest City, an eco-friendly project for a housing complex that would feature a golf course, waterpark, offices, and restaurants. Eight years later, only 15% of the entire project has been built: Forest City is now a ghost town of skyscrapers reportedly filled with crocodiles.

Highlights
  • Forest City, a $100B eco-friendly project in Malaysia intended for 1M people, now houses just 9,000.
  • Developer Country Garden faces nearly $200B in debt over the project.
  • Residents describe Forest City as "eerie"; a video claims crocodile attacks, but the developer denies it.

The developer intended to sell the properties in Johor, on the tip of southern Malaysia, to Chinese buyers, acting as a home-away-from-home, according to the BBC.

China’s largest property developer invested $100B in the eco-friendly metropolis as part of the country’s Belt and Road Initiative. 

Forest City was meant to house one million people. Now, roughly 9,000 people occupy the city, as per Foreign Policy.

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Image credits: forestcitycgpv

The project was targeted at foreign buyers, considering the selling prices were out of reach for most ordinary Malaysians. The properties could be used either as an investment or a summer home.

However, a 2017 Chinese law preventing individuals from moving more than $50,000 out of the country annually led to a decrease in investments.

The minimum price of a Forest City apartment is $75,000, with some reaching the sum of $3.5 million.

Then came the pandemic, which stopped international travel and had negative effects on Chinese real estate and economic growth.

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Chinese property developer Country Garden unveiled the project in 2016, which was meant to feature a golf course, waterpark, offices, and restaurants

Image credits: Eldines Hoo

“This place is eerie,” Joanne Kaur, one of Forest City’s few residents, said. “Even during the day, when you step out of your front door, the corridor is dark.”

Joanne and her husband live in one of the tower blocks. They are the only ones on the whole floor.

“I feel sorry for people who actually invested and bought a place here. It should be the project that was promised to the people, but that’s not what it is.”

Some couldn’t stand the solitude of living in a deserted city.

“I didn’t care about my deposit. I didn’t care about the money. I just had to get out,” said Nazmi Hanafiah. 30-year-old IT engineer who moved to Forest City in 2022. “It’s lonely around here. It’s just you and your thoughts.”

He added: “To be honest, it’s creepy. I had high expectations for this place, but it was such a bad experience. There is nothing to do here.”

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Only 9,000 people currently reside in Forest City

Image credits: Jz Lim

All that’s left of the project is a debt of nearly $200B faced by Country Garden. And, apparently, a few unfriendly neighbors roam the place.

Recently, reports have emerged of an alleged crocodile invasion in the ghost town.

In a viral 47-second video, two men are seen conversing in Mandarin. 

One of them says that there have been 20 to 30 cases of people attacked by the animals in the area. He also says there have been times when children have suddenly disappeared from the beaches.

The developer—who said last year that they were “optimistic” about continuing with the project in the future—has denied these claims.

What’s more, there have been reports of crocodile attacks in the area

Image credits: Rae Wallis

Residents have described the place as “eerie”

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“Throughout our eight years of operation, Forest City has never received any complaints of attacks, injuries, or deaths caused by reptiles,” the company wrote in a statement.

“The company’s representative has filed a police report, and the matter is currently under police investigation. The company reserves the right to take legal action against those responsible.”

Furthermore, Country Garden wrote that the “fabricated allegations” had “adversely affected the public perception, the company’s reputation, and business operation.”

Bored Panda has contacted Country Garden for comment.

“I wouldn’t live there either,” a social media user commented

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or binge-watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or binge-watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

Read more »

Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

Read less »

Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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Mike F
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

An introvert's dream, except for the dinosaurs. You couldn't walk your dog there!

Random Jackass
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can see why some would be put off by the croc infestation, but I see it as an opportunity to lasso up some hunched dinosaurs and strap them to a chariot. You could have the most wonderful one-man-fifteen-croc parade imaginable. Plus, no one's gonna road rage at the guy with the bull whip being pulled by dollar store Jurassic Park.

Load More Replies...
Marno C.
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could see a place like this being turned into a setting for some really interesting movies.

Kiera Mortensen
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This gives me very strong Lonely/Peter Lukas vibes from The Magnus Archives

Load More Comments
Mike F
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

An introvert's dream, except for the dinosaurs. You couldn't walk your dog there!

Random Jackass
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can see why some would be put off by the croc infestation, but I see it as an opportunity to lasso up some hunched dinosaurs and strap them to a chariot. You could have the most wonderful one-man-fifteen-croc parade imaginable. Plus, no one's gonna road rage at the guy with the bull whip being pulled by dollar store Jurassic Park.

Load More Replies...
Marno C.
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could see a place like this being turned into a setting for some really interesting movies.

Kiera Mortensen
Community Member
7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This gives me very strong Lonely/Peter Lukas vibes from The Magnus Archives

Load More Comments
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