It was a complicated rescue operation: A 35-year-old attracted the crocodile and was able to free it from the tire.
Jakarta – It sounds like something out of a “Crocodile Dundee” movie: According to media reports, an Indonesian freed a crocodile from a tire around its neck on the island of Sulawesi after six years.
Even international animal experts and authorities in the island nation had previously failed to capture the reptile and relieve it of its burden – until now, local media reported on Tuesday.
According to the rescuer, it is a 35-year-old from Java. “I’ve been preparing for weeks to capture the crocodile,” he was quoted as saying by the Antara news agency. The four-meter-long reptile had had the motorcycle tire around its neck since 2016 and had been sighted in the Palu River several times in the past year. There were at times fears it might suffocate.
The rescuer said he tied pigeons and chickens to a bamboo stick to lure the shy animal. Eventually, it actually made its way towards shore, where dozens of men helped pull it ashore. Photographs showed the saltwater crocodile’s mouth was tied and its head covered with a cloth to calm it down before the tire was sawn through. It was then released back into the wild.
Two years ago, the regional nature conservation authority announced a competition with a reward to help the animal out of its predicament. When no one reported, the action was called off. A short time later, Australian animal expert Matt Wright, known from the National Geographic show Monster Croc Wrangler, traveled to Palu. Crocodile slayer Chris Wilson also came along. The two failed but eventually left again. dpa
