A team of brave firefighters leapt into a river to subdue a 3.5-metre-long crocodile that ventured into a neighbourhood in Padang, Indonesia.

Filmed on May 12, the footage shows a combination of wildlife officials and firefighters using ropes and sticks to capture the huge reptile.

The beast had been spotted by locals roaming in a river close to residents' homes.

Head of the Padang Fire Department Sutan Hendra said: "The arrest started from a report from the public, there was a crocodile relaxing in the river which is usually used by residents for activities.

The crocodile evacuation took approximately two hours because it needed patience because crocodiles are still like teenagers and still very agile."

After being captured, the croc was handed over to the local conservation agency where it'll be safely released back into the wild.

This is the estuarine crocodile evacuation process carried out by firefighters in the Bangek River area, Padang City, Friday (12 May 2023). assisted by the Padang city reptile communication, the Padang city fire department managed to catch a crocodile with a length of 3.5 meters with makeshift tools or with a hook.

the head of the Padang city fire department, Sutan Hendra said "the arrest started from a report from the public, there was a crocodile relaxing in the river which is usually used by residents for activities, because it is close to residents' housing, the crocodile evacuation took approximately 2 hours because it needed patience and be careful, because crocodiles are still like teenagers and still very agile,".

Sutan Hendra added "from the crocodile evacuation site to crocodile habitat it is very far, maybe around 10 kilometers, so the crocodiles are evacuated and will be released into the wild to their natural habitat,".

after being evacuated to land, the crocodile was handed over to the natural resource conservation agency to be released back in the right place and away from humans.


Padang city fire department evacuated estuarine crocodile 3.5 meters long from the river near residential areas