Indonesian villagers have praised the success of a villager who caught a 4-meter-long crocodile on the island of Sulawesi using only rope.
A giant crocodile appeared in a video clip, and Osman, who uses the same name as many in Indonesia, documented its jaws. Othman said the crocodile has been roaming the area for at least two days, causing panic among residents.
“If we had left it, it would have landed and we would not have been able to get to the rice fields,” Othman, 53, said. “Also, there are drains around the roads where the locals fish, and it would be dangerous if he crawled into the drains. I had to take a risk.” The villagers of Ambau Inda praised the success of their fellow villager in capturing the crocodile.
Official Omar Siddique Al-Farzi said: “What Osman has done is highly appreciated by the community. Some see it as a heroic act because it saved many who would have been victims.” He added that there had previously been many crocodile attacks in the area. He also praised Othman for letting the authorities know he was hunting him. Omar said Osman “considers it a rare animal that the floods have damaged its habitat. He believes he should be protected, not killed.” A spokesman for the local Natural Resources Protection Agency said the crocodile, up to 4.3 meters long, would be returned to the wild.
