An Indonesian man is being hailed as a hero after he managed to remove a motorcycle tire from around the neck of a crocodile that had been burdened by the onerous object for the last six years.
An Indonesian crocodile stuck in a tyre for more than five years has been rescued, freed from the rubber vice, and released in the wild, officials and residents said Tuesday.
In 2016 residents of Palu city on Sulawesi island spotted the saltwater crocodile with a motorbike tyre around its neck, prompting conservation workers to try to lure it from a river.
But late on Monday, a local resident rescued the 5.2m (17ft) long reptile from its tight grasp. The reptile had usually been spotted sunbathing in the Palu River on Central Sulawesi.
Referred to by locals as “buaya kalung ban” the crocodile with a tire necklace it first sparked concerns after being spotted by residents near the Palu River in 2016. #paluriver #tirenecklace #locals