Rescue Attempt On For Giant Indonesia Crocodile With Motorcycle Tire Stuck Around Its Neck

The saltwater crocodile that inhabits the swampy waters of Indonesia is a fierce creature that ambushes its prey and swallows it whole in some cases. But one giant Indonesian crocodile has met its match with a motorcycle tire that is stuck around its neck.

Efforts are now underway to help rid the animal of its unwanted vulcanized necklace led by celebrity trappers and wranglers like Matthew Nicolas Wright and Chris Wilson who are directing an Indonesian team in setting up a trap in the river in the Palu River in the province of Central Sulawesi.

Wright, the host of National Geographic’s Monster Croc Wrangler show, and Australian crocodile wrangler Wilson came to the island of Sulawesi equipped with duck baited traps and even a harpoon to capture the animal, estimated at 13 ft in length. They are joined by a local conservation agency, which has struggled for years to rescue the beast.

The crocodile has proved to be a tough and elusive critter. It was first spotted in the Palu river in 2016 with the tire and has survived a tsunami and earthquake that struck the area in 2018. Previous rescue efforts have failed.

According to Indonesia's state-run Antara news agency, conservationist and "animal whisperer" Muhammad Panji tried in 2018 but was unable to “talk” the crocodile into accepting any assistance. Later that year the conservation office tried a more conventional approach to catch carnivorous creatures: lure it with meat. That proved to be unsuccessful as well.

Wright addressed concerns over using the harpoon and told reporters Thursday that, "It (the harpoon) doesn't hurt the crocodile. It just goes in a little bit. It's like getting your ears pierced."

Wright added that catching the large crocodile was a challenge because of the tough environment and the fact that it wasn't hungry due to ample food in the river. He said, "If we don't get him this trip with me over here, the boys will keep the trap set. They'll keep trying. We might not catch him in two days ... but eventually, we should catch him."

The plan to catch the crocodile will include a practice run on a smaller reptile that was caught on Wednesday. Wright called it “training for the main event" to his more than 200,000 Instagram followers.

If the tire is not removed, the crocodile’s normal growth will continue and slowly strangle it. The species is not in danger of extinction but does require an export permit for commercial trade. It is classified as a CITES Appendix II level species.

Whoever does remove the tire may get some cash in return. Central Sulawesi BKSDA chief Hasmuni Hasmar said, according to the Antara report, that, "A reward will be given to anyone who can release [the tire from] the hapless reptile," but he did not disclose any more details about the reward.