Indonesian Crocodile With Neck Stuck In Motorbike Tire Is Finally Freed

An elusive crocodile in Indonesia that has been spotted with a motorbike tire wrapped around its neck for years has finally been freed, all thanks to a self-taught reptile rescuer who simply wanted to help the creature.

It was confirmed Tuesday that the tire has finally been removed from the crocodile's neck, AFP News reported. The 4-meter-long (13-foot) crocodile was freed by Tili, a 34-year-old man who actually lives more than 600 miles away in Java. Tili traveled all the way to Indonesia to help the reptile, according to Deutsche Welle (DW).

"I just wanted to help, I hate seeing animals trapped and suffering," Tili told AFP News.

The rescue took three weeks, during which Tili's two earlier attempts failed because the ropes used were not strong enough. In the end, he was able to capture the creature using chicken as bait, and with the help of nylon ropes that are usually used for tug boats.

Initially, people were quite afraid to help, and some were even skeptical of the rescue mission, Tili said, as per Reuters. But dozens of residents ended up helping him bring the crocodile to shore and finally remove the tire.

The animal was released back into the water by Monday evening, and Tili is expected to receive a prize for the rescue.

Long Rescue Mission

Residents of Palu City in Sulawesi Island first spotted the creature with a tire around the neck in 2006, according to AFP News. For years, a local conservation group had been trying to help remove the tire, but the crocodile had been rather elusive. Even experts from Australia and the U.S. had tried to help, but the efforts were not successful, DW noted.

In 2020, it even made headlines after the local government offered a reward for anyone who would be able to free the crocodile from the tire. However, this was eventually canceled because of concerns that it could "endanger" the creature's safety.

According to AFP, conservationists think someone may have placed the tire on the animal's neck to try and trap it in order to keep it as a pet. Although the crocodile species is in no danger of extinction, the worry was that the tire would slowly strangle the creature as it grew bigger.