The giant reptile can be seen in a video that is secured around the jaws by Usman, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Usman said it had been roaming the area for at least two days, scaring the inhabitants.
If we left it, it would have come on to land and we wouldn't have been able to go into the rice fields, the 53-year-old said.
There are also drainage channels around the roads, places where locals fish. It would have been dangerous if it had crawled up the drainage channels. He said I had to take a chance.
The capture of the crocodile was lauded by others in Ambau Indah village.
What Usman has done is appreciated by the community. Some consider it a heroic act because it saved many people who could have been victims, said Umar Siddiq al Farizi. He said that there had been several crocodile attacks in the area in the past. He also welcomed Usman's decision to report the capture to authorities. He Usman considered this a rare animal whose habitat had been damaged by floods. Umar said he thought it should be protected and not killed. An official at the local Natural Resources Conservation Agency said the crocodile will be released into the wild.