Indonesia has cancelled its death-defying contest to remove a motorbike tyre from a 13ft crocodile’s neck after the competition was unable to attract any applicants.
Authorities in Palu in Central Sulawesi, were unable to find a would-be crocodile wrangler take up the challenge of removing the tyre, thought to come from a Vespa scooter thrown into the estuary, from the endangered Siamese crocodile.
The country’s ‘pluck a tyre off the croc’ contest was rolled out last month, but made headlines again last week when an unspecified reward was offered.
The local conservation agency offered few details about the reward – or how outsiders might pull off the dangerous task – but its chief said the money would come out of his own pocket
Authorities in Indonesia have cancelled a contest to remove a motorbike tyre from a 13ft Siamese crocodile
The crocodile was first spotted with the tyre around its neck in Palu, Central Sulawesi, in 2016
Last week the local conservation agency offered an unspecified reward to anyone willing to remove the tyre from the 13ft crocodile’s neck
The reptile, who has survived an earthquake and a tsunami that struck the region in 2018, was first spotted struggling with the tyre around its neck in 2016.
However wildlife officials and conservationists are especially concerned that the tyre will strangle the crocodile if it is not removed urgently and have been trying – and failing – for years to find a way to untangle the animal.
Fears for its safety intensified when a video showed the creature apparently gasping for air in 2018.
In the same year ‘animal whisperer’ Muhammad Panji tried to lure the crocodile onto dry land by using chickens as bait, but the creature showed no interest and he was unable to retrieve the tyre.
Following his attempts, rumours circulated that Mr Panji, who has been dubbed Indonesia’s answer to late Australian ”Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, was keen for another shot.
However officials have now confirmed that the contest has been cancelled and said a team from the environment ministry will redouble efforts to free the reptile
The reptile was first spotted struggling with the tyre around its neck in 2016 and conservationists are concerned that it will strangle the crocodile
In January, Central Sulawesi’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency launched a contest to free the creature.
Now officials have said a team from the environment ministry will redouble efforts to free the reptile from its rubber stranglehold.
Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency Head Hasmuni Hasmar said: ‘The contest has been cancelled.
‘But we now have back up from the ministry and government experts to help us.’
The giant reptile has survived an earthquake and a tsunami that struck the region in 2018
