Gustave-maneating crocodile

P

peta9

Registered Senior Member
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2520815.stm
By Christophe Nkurunziza
BBC, Bujumbura

Gustave is being feted in Burundi as possibly Africa's largest crocodile. Some are even saying he could be one of the world's biggest fresh water crocodiles.



Gustave is very dangerous when he gets out of the Ruzizi River to mate with females

Patrice Faye
The reptile, people are guessing could be as long as six metres and as heavy as a tonne, which, even allowing for exaggeration, would have him rivalling some of the largest saltwater crocodiles recorded.

He lives on a river island near Lake Tanganyika, in Burundi, and was given his name by Patrice Faye, a Frenchman who has lived in Burundi for about 20 years and has a keen interest in animals.

Mr Faye, who has been studying Gustave for several years, speaks about him with some fear.

A killer

"He is enormous. He is three times as big as the other crocodiles in Burundi. He is not very fast and cannot feed on what other crocodiles in Burundi eat - fish and small mammals. He attacks slow prey which are easy to capture."


The crocodile is well known in Burundi


The crocodile is greatly feared by local bathers and fishermen.

"Gustave is very dangerous when he gets out of the Ruzizi River to mate with females.

"He travels all the way to the areas of Rumonge and Minago and eats fishermen and bathers en route," Mr Faye says.

"He can eat 10, 15 or 20 people along the bank."

"One year, I followed the path he took on one of his forays and 17 people had been eaten between Kanyosha and Minago, and Kabezi and Magara."

However, Gustave spends most of his days near his island.

According to local people many have tried to kill him and failed.

Animal conservation agencies are saying he should be protected and Mr Faye agrees saying killing him should be "out of the question".

"It would be a great shame as he is a phenomenon we want to study scientifically."



However, catching Gustave has proved difficult so far.

"I have made a trap to try to catch him: 10 metres long, two metres wide and 1.50 metres high. It is gigantic, 40 men were needed to transport it," Mr Faye says.

"We placed it into the Ruzizi, put bait inside and spent the whole night in the river with cameras.

"But it was a total failure. The crocodile was parading outside the cage, teasing us, and we were unable to catch it.

"We wanted to catch it to make a report which will be shown around the world and make Gustave and Burundi famous," he said.

But for now Burundi's killer crocodile remains free.

See also:


25 Oct 01 | Science/Nature
Giant crocodile was length of bus

01 Oct 02 | Africa
Namibia's 'Crocodile Dundee' recaptured

20 Nov 02 | Country profiles
Country profile: Burundi

Internet links:


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The list of people that have been killed and eaten by this croc has been mostly little children or adolescents.

I don't have a problem with conservationists wanting to protect this beast and study it for what?! there is nothing to study except that he should not be breeding to pass on his genes to create more of his kind.

I think they even used a dog in a trap to lure this cunning beast but it wouldn't bite. Like I said if I was the parent of one of the victims of this beast I would have no problem with the conservationists protecting this beast as long as they put one of themselves(LOL) into the trap to catch this beast they admire and want to protect and then take it home and feed it.

If I was the parent who lost a child to this prehistoric nasty shit and I had a chance to kill it, I would. If a conservationist tried to stop me then I would tie that fucker up and throw it in the water to be fed to it like it deserves! After all, it does need another meal to stay alive and the one that wants to protect it should be the first to give up their life!
 
The gator is doing what gators have been doing forever. If the people living there haven't learned the nature of a gator by now....consider it survival of the fittest with the gator getting rid of the foolish. (and I understand they are children. But dang, even young kids should know not to go near what could EAT them)
 
peta9 said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2520815.stm


The list of people that have been killed and eaten by this croc has been mostly little children or adolescents.

I don't have a problem with conservationists wanting to protect this beast and study it for what?! there is nothing to study except that he should not be breeding to pass on his genes to create more of his kind.

I think they even used a dog in a trap to lure this cunning beast but it wouldn't bite. Like I said if I was the parent of one of the victims of this beast I would have no problem with the conservationists protecting this beast as long as they put one of themselves(LOL) into the trap to catch this beast they admire and want to protect and then take it home and feed it.

If I was the parent who lost a child to this prehistoric nasty shit and I had a chance to kill it, I would. If a conservationist tried to stop me then I would tie that fucker up and throw it in the water to be fed to it like it deserves! After all, it does need another meal to stay alive and the one that wants to protect it should be the first to give up their life!
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Yeah well.. think about it man. Who is to blame here, is it:
1.) The crocodiles that lived there for MILLIONS of years ?
2.) The dumb shits that chose to go and live in their territory ?
:rolleyes:

P.S.
I suggest you add above options to your thread as a poll... ;)
 
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Why do people assume this croc is doing what crocs do? And I wouldn't go blaming children or adolescents and labeling them as "dumbshits" or "foolish." The people in the village depend on the water for thier livelihood. I'm sure the children aren't going up to a gator to pet but being ambushed. Only a "fool" would think otherwise. Let's blame all the children for rape and molestation because they didn't see it coming when they possibly couldn't. Same rationalization.

And you're right, it is survival of the fittest especially when it comes down to your life versus another so if anyone of them get a chance to kill it, they would have that right since the croc is a deadly threat to them. It doesn't matter what it's territory is, this croc travels outside of its territory and it's an opportunist. Crocs don't tell themselves they will follow any set rules of engagement, again it's an opportunist, therefore they deserve the same treatment.

Like I said the conservationists have a right to save this croc as long as they put themselves in the trap for their lovin croc.
 
peta9 said:
..And I wouldn't go blaming children or adolescents and labeling them as "dumbshits" or "foolish." The people in the village depend on the water for thier livelihood. ...
Click to expand...

then the stupid parents shouldn't be sednign their children for water. That's like a parent sending their child to a known pedophiles house butt naked to get water.
 
peta9 said:
Why do people assume this croc is doing what crocs do? And I wouldn't go blaming children or adolescents and labeling them as "dumbshits" or "foolish." The people in the village depend on the water for thier livelihood. I'm sure the children aren't going up to a gator to pet but being ambushed. Only a "fool" would think otherwise. Let's blame all the children for rape and molestation because they didn't see it coming when they possibly couldn't. Same rationalization.

And you're right, it is survival of the fittest especially when it comes down to your life versus another so if anyone of them get a chance to kill it, they would have that right since the croc is a deadly threat to them. It doesn't matter what it's territory is, this croc travels outside of its territory and it's an opportunist. Crocs don't tell themselves they will follow any set rules of engagement, again it's an opportunist, therefore they deserve the same treatment.

Like I said the conservationists have a right to save this croc as long as they put themselves in the trap for their lovin croc.
Click to expand...

It is not the same generalization, pedephiles do not swim ONLY in rivers right ? There is no place/area that pedophiles are more or less restricted to. The crocs do have such an area, its called water. And then only certain areas of that water.

Btw.. what children are you talking about, the article doesnt mention children. And the article doesnt mention anything about getting water either. The people being eaten are bathers and fishers, and those people are well aware of the existence of Gustav.

"The crocodile is greatly feared by local bathers and fishermen."

"He travels all the way to the areas of Rumonge and Minago and eats fishermen and bathers en route,"
 
Some things are not "right" or "wrong," they just "are." That crocodile's luck will not last forever. Eventually some big macho hunter--perhaps an African, perhaps someone else--with ten accomplices and military weapons will make camp in the place and stay there until they kill him (even if he loses five of his crew), then take his remains home as a trophy. If scientists want to preserve him for study, they are going to have to capture him.

This is not a battle the environmentalists can reasonably expect to win. They would have to station a crew there permanently, with enough man- and firepower to run off that hunter.
 
I'm familiar with this story, and the people trying to relocate the beast to a more rural area did indeed put their own lives at risk trying to capture it. In any case, it's a reminder that the wild really is wild, especially in Africa.
 
getfile.aspx


They put it back on.
 
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