After nearly six years, the legendary crocodile in Palu was released from the entanglement of an automatic motorcycle tire. The motorcycle tire on the neck of the predatory animal nicknamed the ‘crocodile with a tire collar’ was released by antique hunters. The crocodile was hit by his artificial net, Monday, February 7, 2022 at around 18.30 Central Indonesia Time.
As is known, crocodiles wearing tires have often appeared in the Palu River to the estuary and coast of Palu Bay since 2016. When this legendary crocodile first appeared, it was still small. But day by day his body is getting bigger. The automatic motorcycle tires that were wrapped around him were choking his neck even more. Usually he appears sunbathing to the edge. Ordinary also just his head appeared in the middle of the river current.
After nearly six years, the residents finally let go of the motorcycle tire that was snaring around his neck by means of a saw. The actions of a number of people became a spectacle for hundreds of Palu City residents.
In January 2018, Panji Petualang and his team tried to save the crocodile. They plan to try to remove the tire wrapped around the crocodile’s neck. But it didn’t work.
In February 2020, Matt Wright, an Australian wild animal tamer and TV presenter also attempted to catch this tire-necked crocodile but failed.
In December 2020, Forrest Galante, an American adventurer and TV presenter, tried to save the crocodile, but failed again.
And Monday, February 7, 2022, Chili, a resident of Palu City who claims to be from Sragen, Central Java, managed to catch the crocodile with its snare and then released a tire that further strangled the neck of this legendary crocodile.
“That’s what I’m after it, sir. If there are antiques, I will chase them. I prove what this really is. People say this is gold. It was not. That’s what the people cut,” said Chili, who admitted that he had been stalking the crocodile’s movements for three weeks.
The Natural Resources Conservation Agency and a rescue team from the Fire Department, Palu City will actually take this crocodile to a captivity belonging to the Central Sulawesi BKSDA (The Natural Resources Conservation Agency). However, residents asked for the crocodile to be released back into the river. Finally, residents carried the crocodile to be released back into the Palu River. ***
