Fellow villagers have praised an Indonesian man for capturing a crocodile longer than 4 metres on the island of Sulawesi using just a rope.

The giant reptile was 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, frightening the locals.

"If we had 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.

The crocodile's capture was lauded by others in the village of Ambau Indah.

"What Usman has done is appreciated by the community. Some even consider it a heroic act, because it saved many people who could have become victims," said Umar Siddiq Al Farizi.

In the past there had been several crocodile attacks in the area, he said.

The crocodile, measuring 4.3 metres, will be released back into the wild.