Crocodile freed from tyre stuck on its neck for six years
9 February 2022, 10:24
Conservation officials in Indonesia had been racing to rescue the huge reptile since residents spotted her in 2016.
A crocodile with a motorcycle tyre stuck around her neck for six years has finally been freed by an Indonesian bird catcher in a tireless effort that wildlife conservation officials hailed as a milestone.
The 14.8ft (4.5m) female saltwater crocodile had been spotted in the river in Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi, with the tyre becoming increasingly tight and threatening to choke her.
Conservation officials had been racing to rescue the huge reptile since residents spotted her in 2016, generating sympathy among residents and worldwide.
In 2020, Australian crocodile wrangler Matthew Wright and American wildlife biologist Forrest Galante tried to free the reptile but failed.
In early January, 35-year-old bird catcher and trader Tili, who recently moved to the city, heard about the famous crocodile from his neighbours and determined to rescue her after seeing her frequently sunbathing on a nearby estuary.
“I have experiences and skills in catching animals, not only birds, but farm animals that are released from the cage,” Tili, who goes by a single name, told the Associated Press. “I believe I can rescue the crocodile with my skills.”
He strung ropes of various sizes into a trap tied to a tree near the river, and laid chickens, ducks and birds as bait.
After three weeks of waiting and several failed attempts, the crocodile finally fell into the trap on Monday night.
With the help of two of his friends, Tili pulled the trapped crocodile ashore and sawed through the tyre, which was 1.6ft (50cm) in diameter.
A video that circulated widely on the internet showed a crowd of men cheering as Tili and his friends broke the crocodile free.
Other residents then contacted firefighters and a wildlife conservation agency to help them release the animal back into the wild.
Haruna Hamma, who heads Central Sulawesi province’s conservation agency, said: “For all of the efforts Tili has done for protected wildlife and being the kind of animal lover he is, that’s a great milestone.”
He said it was unclear how the used motorcycle tyre had got stuck around the crocodile’s neck.
Conservationists have said it was likely to have been deliberately placed by people in a failed attempt to trap it as a pet or skin it for sale, but crocodiles and other swimming reptiles often travel into rubbish-filled waters with nothing to stop a tyre from encircling them, Mr Hamma said.
Government data recorded 279 crocodile attacks in Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands, between 2007 and 2014. Of these, as many as 268 cases of attacks were carried out by saltwater crocodiles, of which 135 were fatal.
Despite the attacks, the saltwater crocodile is protected under Indonesian law.
