A crocodile in Indonesia that has had a motorcycle tire stuck around its neck for years has finally been freed.
The 13.12-foot crocodile was found around the island of Sulawesi, and had the tire around its neck for about six years, according to Reuters.
Despite local residents’ concern for the crocodile’s well-being, capturing the creature was a challenge.
Even a local resident named Tili, who ended up removing the tire from the crocodile’s neck, had two failed attempts before he was able to capture the reptile, Reuters reported.
The 35-year-old Sulawesi resident told the outlet that he used a basic trap made with a rope tied to a log. His bait was live chickens and ducks.
“I caught the crocodile by myself,” Tili told Reuters. “I was asking for help from people here but they were scared.”
Tili said that many people were “skeptical” about his desire and ability to capture the crocodile, according to Reuters.
The outlet reported that Tili tracked the crocodile for three weeks before he finally caught it and sawed the tire off its neck.
The crocodile was returned to the wild on Monday, according to Reuters.
Local authorities offered a reward in 2020 for anyone who could remove the tire from the crocodile’s neck – though Tili told Reuters that wasn’t what motivated his pursuit of the croc.
“I just can’t stand to see animals hurt. Even snakes, I will help,” Tili told Reuters.
