A wild crocodile with a motorcycle tire stuck around its neck for six years was finally freed by an Indonesian bird catcher in a relentless effort, wildlife conservation officials said on Wednesday. A 4.5-metre (14.8-foot) saltwater female crocodile has become a symbol for people in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi. The animal was seen on the city’s river, with the tire around its neck becoming increasingly hard, threatening to suffocate. Conservation officials have been rushing to save the crocodile since residents spotted the reptile in 2016, prompting sympathy from residents and around the world. In 2020, Australian crocodile wrangler Matthew Wright and American wildlife biologist Forrest Galante tried and failed to free the reptile.
In early January, Tilly, a 35-year-old bird catcher and trader who had recently arrived in town, heard about the famous crocodile from his neighbors and was determined to save the reptile when he found it in a nearby estuary. Often seen sunbathing.
Tilly, who goes by the same name, told the Associated Press, “I have the experience and skill to capture animals, not just birds, but farm animals that are released from cages.” “I believe I can save the crocodile with my skills.”
He tied ropes of various sizes to a net tied to a tree near the river, and kept chickens, ducks and birds as fodder. After three weeks of waiting and several unsuccessful attempts, the crocodile was finally caught in the net on Monday night. With the help of two of his friends, Tilly pulled the side of the trapped crocodile and saw through the tire, which was 50 centimeters (1.6 ft) in diameter.
In a video widely circulated on the Internet, Tili and his friends can be seen cheering a crowd nearby as they free the crocodile. Other residents then contacted firefighters and a wildlife conservation agency to help them release the animal back into the wild.
Haruna Hamma, head of the conservation agency of Central Sulawesi Province, said: “It’s a great milestone for all the efforts Tilly has made for the protected wildlife and the kind of animal lover he is.”
He said it was not clear how the used motorcycle tire got stuck in the crocodile’s neck. Conservationists have said that it was deliberately kept by people in an unsuccessful attempt to trap it as a pet or to skin it for sale, but crocodiles and other swimming reptiles often travel in waters full of garbage. , in which nothing happens to prevent the tire from encircling, Hamma said.
Between 2007 and 2014, 279 crocodile attacks were recorded in Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago country with more than 17,000 islands, according to government data. Of these, 268 attacks were carried out by saltwater crocodiles, of which 135 were fatal.
Despite the attacks, the saltwater crocodile is protected under Indonesian law.
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