Sulawesi's tyre-bound crocodile finally freed after five years
A
wild crocodile in Central Sulawesi who was trapped in a tyre
for more than five years has been rescued, freed from its rubber vice and
released back into the wild, officials and residents said Tuesday. Conservation workers have been trying to lure the stricken
saltwater crocodile from a river since 2016 after residents of Palu spotted the
animal with a motorbike tyre wrapped around its
neck. But it had proved very difficult to capture. At one point, an Australian
crocodile wrangler attempted to free the reptile but was unsuccessful.
But it was a local resident who snared the
5.2-metre (17 foot) long reptile -- who was regularly seen sunbathing in the
Palu river in Central Sulawesi -- from its tight squeeze late on Monday. Tili,
a 34-year-old bird-seller, used chicken as bait and ropes to
catch the beast at the end of what he said was a three-week rescue
effort, before dozens of locals helped to drag the crocodile to shore and cut the tyre around its neck. "I just wanted
to help, I hate seeing animals trapped and suffering," Tili told
AFP. His first two attempts to rescue the croc failed because the ropes
were not strong enough to contend with its
weight, he said, before turning to nylon ropes used for tugging boats. "I
was already exhausted so I let them finish the rescue, the crocodile was
unbelievably heavy, everybody was sweating and
getting very tired." The crocodile was released back into the water
immediately after the rescue to relieved cheers from locals.
Conservationists believe someone may have deliberately placed the tyre around the croc's neck in a failed
attempt to trap it as a pet in the archipelago nation that is home to several
species of the animal. Tili beat the authorities to the capture because
they lacked the proper equipment for a rescue in the river that
houses more than 30 other crocodiles. "Yesterday was a historical day for
us, we are grateful the crocodile was finally rescued and we appreciate the
locals who showed concern for the wildlife," Hasmuni Hasmar, head of the
local conservation agency, told AFP.
The
reptile made headlines in early 2020 when the local government promised a
reward to anyone who caught the croc and
removed the tyre, but later called off the contest over fears it could endanger
its safety. But the local conservation agency said Tili is in line for a prize after his daring plan paid off.
The reptile, which local
people had referred to as "buaya kalung ban" (crocodile with a tyre
necklace), was released back into the river on Monday evening."We will
award Tili for his effort in rescuing the wildlife,"Hasmar said.
Source:
Te Jakarta Post (Wednesday, 9 February 2022)
LIST OF VOCABULARY
|
NO |
ENGLISH |
INDO |
|
1. |
Trapped |
Terjebak |
|
2. |
Conservation |
Konservasi
|
|
3. |
Wrapped |
Melilit |
|
4. |
Wrangler |
Pecinta hewan |
|
5. |
Snared |
Menjerat |
|
6. |
Bait |
Umpan |
|
7. |
Beast |
Hewan buas |
|
8. |
Shore |
Pantai |
|
9. |
Contend |
Bersaing |
|
10. |
Sweating |
Berkeringat |
|
11. |
Deliberately |
Dengan sengaja
|
|
12. |
Lacked |
Kekurangan/keterbatasan |
|
13. |
Caught |
Menangkap |
|
14. |
Released |
Melepaskan |
|
15. |
Prize |
Hadiah |
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