Locals in Palu first spotted the poor reptile in 2016 when it headed to the riverbank with the scooter tyre around its neck, gasping for air.
The now 13-foot crocodile, believed to be the nearly ‘virtually extinct’ Siamese crocodile, was again spotted two weeks ago by locals when it had come to the riverbank, peeking out of water helplessly for air.
Watch the video at the end.
The reptile was first spotted by locals in Palu in 2016 when it had headed to the riverbank with the scooter tire around its neck, gasping for air
The now 13-feet crocodile was again spotted two weeks ago by locals, its head peeking out of the water, also gasping for air
The reptile is believed to be the nearly ‘virtually extinct’ Siamese crocodile and its head is now bigger than the tyre trapped around its neck
Seven volunteers, supervised by the Central Sulawesi Natural Resource Conservation Agency, are working to help the crocodile, but their efforts have gone into vain.
Several attempts to lure the crocodile to come onto the dry land have failed as it shows lack of interest in its bait-chickens.
Wildlife officials now worry that with its growing size, the crocodile might die if the tyre, thought to be of a Vespa scooter thrown into the estuary, is not removed urgently.
Mr Mulyadi, an official with the Indonesia Conservation Board, said: ‘We have made a crocodile trap but cannot use it because we lack technical force capable of controlling wild crocodiles.
Unusually for a crocodile, the reptile appears not to be tempted by the raw meat left out for it
‘We have tried to lure it with chicken or meat but it never touches it.
‘This crocodile has grown to 4 meters in length and its head is about 40 centimeters long. Its body is getting bigger, and the tyre which should be 14 inches, is stifling it.
‘If the tyre is not removed immediately, it will strangle the crocodile in the next few months because of its growing body.’
In the visuals, a crowd of agonized locals is seen helplessly looking at the large crocodile as it struggles and nods its head for breath.
“I caught the crocodile by myself,” Tili told Reuters. “I was asking for help from people here but they were scared.”
Tili, a bird catcher who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name, holds up a tire after removing him from around the neck of a crocodile in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Feb. 7, 2022. AP
According to Reuters, Tili said that many people were “skeptical” about his desire and ability to capture the crocodile.
The outlet reported that Tili tracked the crocodile for three weeks before he finally caught it and sawed the tire off its neck.
Thousands of enthusiastic residents witnessed the heroic actions of one who managed to save one of the wild estuarine crocodiles entangled in motorcycle tires. Adi Pranata/ZUMA
The crocodile was returned to the wild on Monday, according to Reuters.
Local authorities offered a reward in 2020 for anyone who could remove the tire from the crocodile’s neck – though Tili told Reuters that wasn’t what motivated his pursuit of the croc.
“I just can’t stand to see animals hurt. Even snakes, I will help,” Tili told Reuters.
Residents free a crocodile from a tyre that was stuck around its neck for about five years before releasing it into a river in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on February 7, 2022.
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