The poor reptile was first spotted by locals in Palu in 2016 when it had headed to the riverbank with the scooter tyre around its neck, gasping for air.
The reptile was first spotted by locals in Palu in in 2016 when it had headed to the riverbank with the scooter tyre around its neck, gasping for air
The now 13-feet crocodile was again spotted two weeks ago by local, 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 are working to help the crocodile, supervised by Central Sulawesi Natural Resource Conservation Agency but their attempts 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.
‘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 centimeter long. Its body is getting bigger and the tyre which should be 14 inches, is stifling it.
Tili said that many people were “skeptical” about his desire and ability to capture the crocodile, according to Reuters.
The outlet reported that Tili tracked the crocodile for three weeks before he finally caught it and sawed the tire off its neck.
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 which was stuck around its neck for about five years, before releasing it into a river in Palu, Central Sulawesi on February 7, 2022.