After 6 years, Indonesian crocodile freed from tyre around neck

dpa Jakarta A 4-meter-long crocodile that had a motorcycle tyre stuck around its neck for six years finally had the ring removed this week, Indonesian me...

dpa Jakarta A 4-meter-long crocodile that had a motorcycle tyre stuck around its neck for six years finally had the ring removed this week, Indonesian media reported on Tuesday.The crocodile’s saviour is a 35-year-old man from Sragen, in Central Java, named Hili, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.  “I have been preparing to capture the crocodile for weeks,” Hili was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara.  He came to Indonesia’s Palu River in Central Sulawesi province to try his luck in removing the tyre from the croc’s neck, following years of unsuccessful attempts by local and international animal experts, including Australian wildlife show presenter Matthew Nicolas Wright and fellow crocodile observer Chris Wilson, as well as US wildlife expert Forrest Galante, who tried their luck to help the croc in February and March 2020.Authorities in Palu had offered a reward for anyone brave enough to wrangle the crocodile and remove the tyre.  It survived the devastating 2018 6-magnitude earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that hit Palu and its surrounding regions, including areas on the banks of the Palu River.     Tili said he used pigeon and chicken tied to a bamboo stick to lure the croc ashore. On Monday, he was successful.  He said he caught the crocodile by himself, but had help from dozens of men to lift it ashore. Clips circulating on social media showed the croc was muzzled and his head covered by a cloth as Hili sawed the tire off its neck.  The crocodile was released back into the river.