A wild crocodile in Indonesia that had lived with a tight tire around its neck for more than five years was released yesterday from its potentially fatal rubber grip and set free on the island of Sulawesi, officials and local residents said today. Authorities have been trying to capture the saltwater crocodile – which lives in the Palu River in Central Sulawesi province – since 2016 after residents saw a motorcycle tire around its neck.
In the end, it was one of the locals – named Tili – who captured the 5.2-meter-long reptile and freed it from its grip. The man, a 34-year-old bird seller, used a hen as bait and after two attempts managed to bring the big crocodile ashore by tying it with ropes with the help of dozens of people. Once immobilized, the animal was freed from its ‘collar’.
“I just wanted to help, I hate seeing animals trapped and suffering,” said Tili, who like many Indonesians only uses one name, explaining that it took him three weeks to complete his feat. The first two attempts to capture the crocodile, in fact, failed because the ropes were not strong enough to support the weight of the animal. And only when nylon ropes were used was it possible to catch it.
According to authorities, someone deliberately put the tire around the crocodile’s neck in an unsuccessful attempt to capture it and keep it as a pet.
Source: Ansa
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