A massive four-meter (13.12 ft) crocodile in Indonesia is finally free from the motorcycle tire that’s been stuck around his neck for six years. Reuters reports that after various attempts over the last six years, a local animal lover was finally successful.

The female saltwater crocodile was first seen in 2016 and became known as “buaya kalung ban,” which means “crocodile with a tire necklace.” Locals are unsure how the crocodile got the tire stuck, to begin with, but put some suspect it could be from people trying to catch him to sell his skin.

Although saltwater crocodiles are a protected species in Indonesia, their neighboring country, Thailand, is the largest exporter of crocodile skin, and they have the largest crocodile farms in the world. This is an extremely cruel practice that local animal lovers have been trying to ban for years.

Conservation officials offered a reward in 2020 for anyone who could remove the tire. That year, Forrest Galante, an American TV personality, outdoor adventurer, and conservationist, attempted to rescue the croc for a documentary called “Impossible Croc Rescue,” but he was unsuccessful.

A professional crocodile wrangler, Matthew Wright, also attempted but failed. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the reptile “definitely is one of the most difficult crocodiles I’ve had to catch in my career.”

Then, finally, a local Indonesian man named Tili, a self-taught wrangler, attempted what seemed to be the impossible. Tili set up a trap and tracked the croc for three weeks. On a third attempt, the croc was finally caught.

🔴 The wild #Crocodile in #Indonesia has been rescued after six year from a tire stuck around its neck. Locals raise this issue as the animal grew in size since 2016. Local watcher freed the crocodile after a 3-week rescue intervention with the coordination with #wildlife team. pic.twitter.com/XFtID91AZ8

— PakWeather.com (@Pak_Weather) February 10, 2022

Tili told Reuters, “I just can’t stand to see animals hurt. Even snakes, I will help.”

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