In Indonesia, a crocodile had been living with a motorcycle tire stuck around its neck for six years. Thanks to a trap set by a villager, the animal was finally freed.
In 2016, residents of the village of Palu, Indonesia , noticed that a crocodile had a motorcycle tire stuck around its neck. Since the animal was discovered, the villagers have mobilized to try to remove the tire, in vain. For six years, this 4-meter-long wild crocodile lived with this object around his body, which gradually prevented him from breathing.
In February 2020, a reward was promised for the person who managed to free the crocodile . A year later, a villager finally managed to help the animal.
The rescue was carried out by Tili, a 34-year-old bird seller. To catch the animal, the villager used chickens and ducks as bait, so that the crocodile fell into a trap and could be tied up with ropes. Tili’s first attempts failed because the ropes weren’t strong enough to hold the animal. The villager then used nylon ropes that can be used to pull boats. It finally took three weeks for Tili to manage to catch the crocodile.
“I just wanted to help him, I hate to see trapped animals suffer. I caught the crocodile on my own. I was asking people here for help, but they were scared. He got caught in the trap I set. He managed to escape twice before I caught him. A lot of people were skeptical and thought I wasn’t serious. I proved them wrong ,” Tili said.
Once tied up, the animal was dragged by many villagers to the shore. Using a small saw, Tili managed to cut the tire that was clutching the animal’s neck, and the crocodile was immediately released, to the applause of the locals.
“Yesterday was a historic day for us. We are grateful that the crocodile was finally rescued and we appreciate the locals who showed concern for the wildlife ,” said Hasmuni Hasmar, head of the local conservation agency.
