This man-eating crocodile has killed more than 300 people in Africa

There are horror stories about the giant Nile crocodile, which weighs up to 910 kg and is said to have killed up to 300 people.

“The largest, most legendary crocodile in all of Africa – the monstrous Loch Ness monster of incredible size and, according to legend, an appetite,” Michael McRae explained Gustave in National Geographic. Records of crocodile attacks on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika began in 1987.

Since the late 1990s, the case of the Nile crocodile from Burundi has been investigated by a specialist in animal diseases, Patrice Faye, who named the animal Gustave. He heard about it for the first time in 1998 from local fishermen.

“They told me that their friend was eaten by a large crocodile. Fishermen recognized the crocodile, sometimes it was seen, sometimes it disappeared for a few years, then it came back to kill again,” He said in an interview with National Geographic. Later he heard of more deaths and disappearances.

The exact size of this animal is unknown – according to some sources, it can be more than 9 m long and weigh 910 kg. Gustave has four scars on his body, but it is not known how they were formed.

Scientists believe that due to its size, it cannot hunt antelopes and zebras, which is why it attacks large animals: hippos, buffaloes and … people. He could kill 200 to 300 people. It has a cannibalistic reputation, but witnesses report that it often does not eat its victims.

“Bodies don’t really care,” Faye said. “Legs, stomachs, arms and heads are usually missing – only the torsos of the victims remain,” he explained. He reported that Gustaw could eat several victims in a few days.

Most of the information about the animal comes from the film Catching the Killer Crocwhich was broadcast in 2004. The film documents the attempt to capture Gustave.

“There is a killer on the loose in central Africa. In the past few years, more than 200 people near Lake Tanganyika have been killed by a large crocodile estimated to be 30 feet long and about a century old,” wrote the filmmakers.

The team found Gustave. Its members made many attempts to catch the animal using various baits including goats. Smaller crocodiles were caught, but not Gustave.

Young hairdresser, We don’t rely on Audifaxwho survived the attack, told National Geographic, “The crocodile grabbed my leg. At first I thought it was one of my friends. I looked behind me and saw this thing that was big and old. Then I felt pain. It was unbelievable,” Audifax was 13 years old at the time.

“I turned to look at him and our eyes met. My leg was crushed and part of my calf was torn. I almost passed out from the pain.” The fishermen managed to scare the animal away, but unfortunately the boy lost his leg. He guessed that he met Gustave when he heard at the hospital that four other people had been attacked on the same beach.

In 2009, a crocodile was spotted in the Ruzizi River near Lake Tanganyika. 10 years later, a journalist from Travel Africa Magazine, who was traveling in Burundi, reported that the animal had been killed.

However, since he did not provide any evidence, it is possible that Gustave was taken alive. National Geographic magazine wrote in 2009, “What is certain is that his story will continue to frighten and excite people long after he has disappeared from the calm waters.”