Australian ‘Croc Wranglers’ Return Home After Failing to Remove Tyre From Indonesian Crocodile’s Neck

This article originally appeared on VICE Indonesia.

An Aussie team’s painstaking attempt to remove a tyre that has been stuck around the neck of a crocodile for four years in Palu, Indonesia, has proven unsuccessful. Matthew Wright and Chris Wilson, self-proclaimed “croc wranglers,” had responded to a public plea from the mayor of Palu, who offered an undisclosed prize to whoever could free the crocodile.

Wright and Wilson’s work permits expired on February 15 after spending a week trying to capture the croc, forcing them to pack their bags and go home.

On February 2, Indonesia's Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) cancelled the contest following a lack of applicants.

Wright, who said he had waited 18 months to be granted entry to Palu to try to free the croc, reached out to the Central Sulawesi BKSDA and arranged to collaborate. The Palu government saw Wright, who is also the host of the National Geographic TV show Outback Wrangler and has extensive experience with crocodiles, as the ideal candidate.

In an Instagram post after their failed attempts, Wright noted that the croc’s behaviour had changed after so much human interaction. “Give the croc a rest. We’ll be back soon to continue operations,” the caption reads.

Haruna, head of the Central Sulawesi BKSDA, said the two croc wranglers promised to return if the tyre has not been removed by May 2020.

“We will continue the operation, albeit less intensively. We’re trying to gain the animal’s trust to avoid any significant changes in its behaviour,” Haruna told local media.

Haruna also expressed concern that the crocodile may be under stress with people constantly trying to capture it, which could potentially endanger nearby communities.

With the help of the BKDSA, Wright and Wilson tried a number of methods to capture the croc, which was first spotted by locals in 2016. First they set up a trap, hoping some bait would lure the croc into confinement. Instead, another crocodile took the bait. Next, they tied a chicken to a drone in an effort to tempt it out of its hiding spot, which didn’t work either. The team decided to take it up a notch by attempting to tranquillise the massive reptile to no avail.

The rescue mission drew large crowds, which the team said likely spooked the crocodile.

“We’re optimistic that if the locals watching the rescue process were more quiet, the operation would be a success,” Haruna told local media.

The BKSDA said that Wright and Wilson weren’t the only ones to accept the Palu mayor’s challenge; since their attempt, many other applicants from abroad are now also keen to give it a shot. But given the risky nature of the mission, Haruna said that he will not accept applications from non-experts.