Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Asia Wire Report
AsiaWire/@willow_nt
Australian crocodile observer Chris Wilson has returned home after failing to catch the poor croc with a tyre around its neck, but TV star Matt Wright, described as a living version of Crocodile Dundee, is battling on.
Reports said the crocodile, which measures four metres (13 feet) in length, was first spotted with the tyre around its neck in the Palu River in the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi around four years ago.
Repeated attempts to capture it and free it from that I have so far failed and now Wright, star of the TV show Monster Croc Wrangler which is broadcast on the National Geographic channel, has agreed to help catch the poor crocodile because local efforts had so far failed.
After five days playing ‘cat and mouse’ with the stubborn crocodile, Australian crocodile observer Chris Wilson has revealed he has to return home.
He wrote on Instagram: “My adventure in Palu has come to an end! Absolutely devastated, I won’t be here when Matty finals [sic] puts it under control!”
AsiaWire/@willow_nt
He said that Wright and other team members tracked the crocodile on foot for over seven kilometres.
Wilson added: “We had a couple of close opportunities, but once again, the crowds, the flow of water, the full moon and many other factors worked against us!”
Haruna, leader of the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Central Sulawesi) rescue team, said: “Chris returned to his home country this morning, but Matt will remain in Palu for the next four days.
“We will continue using harpoons. Members of our team trained with Matt using harpoons yesterday. I hope our team can put the knowledge into practice and work properly without Matt’s help.”
Meanwhile, TV star Wright said: “I have started a GoFundMe page, if you can jump on that, donate some money, give these guys a little edge and keep this operation going.
“I will only be here for a couple more days. Now if we catch him, we catch him. If not, it will be an ongoing process.”
AsiaWire/@willow_nt
Reports said that Wright harpooned the crocodile, but it failed to penetrate the reptile’s tough skin and it eventually managed to escape the capture attempt.
Wright said: “The word ‘tired’ is not in our vocabulary. We will trace it again.”
The search continues.
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