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![]() A photograph of Gustave for National Geographic , taken by Martin Best | |
Species | Crocodylus niloticus (Nile crocodile) |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Hatched | c. 1955 (age 69–70) |
Known for | Allegedly killing up to 300 people |
Residence | Ruzizi River and Lake Tanganyika |
Weight | ≥ 2,000 lb (907 kg) (estimated) |
Gustave is a man-eating male Nile crocodile that roams the Ruzizi river and the northern shores of Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, Africa. Gustave is rumored to have killed as many as 200–300 people, though one more recent estimate states the true figure is probably 60 people or fewer. [1] [2] [3] He has obtained a mythical status and is greatly feared by the people in the region. [1] [2]
Gustave was named by Patrice Faye, a herpetologist who has been studying him since the late 1990s. Much of what is known about Gustave stems from the film Capturing the Killer Croc, [4] which aired in 2004 on PBS. The film documents an attempt to capture Gustave. [1]
Gustave's exact length and weight are unknown. In 2002, National Geographic estimated he could be "easily more than 20 feet (6.1 m)" long, and weigh more than 2,000 pounds (907 kg). He is estimated to be over 60 years old and "still growing". [2] [5]
Gustave carries three bullet wound scars on his body. His right shoulder blade was also found to be deeply wounded. Circumstances surrounding the four scars are unknown. Scientists who have studied Gustave claim that his uncommon size and weight impede his ability to hunt the usual agile prey of Nile crocodiles such as fish, antelope and zebra, forcing him to attack larger animals such as hippopotamus, buffalo and humans. Despite frequently being referred to as a man-eater, a popular local warning says he often leaves his victims' corpses uneaten. [2]
In Capturing the Killer Croc, Patrice Faye and other scientists attempted to capture Gustave over a period of two years. A trap cage weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kg) and measuring nearly 30 feet (9.1 m) in length was developed. The team then located Gustave, installed and baited the trap, also placing a hidden infrared camera inside. Several kinds of bait were used, yet none of them attracted Gustave or any other creature. The scientists then strategically installed three giant snares on certain banks to increase their chances of capture; although smaller crocodiles were caught by the traps, Gustave was not.
In the last week before being forced to leave the country due to an ongoing civil conflict, the team placed a live goat in the cage. As the result of a thunderstorm, the camera failed to operate and the following morning the cage was found partially submerged and the goat was gone. The team speculated that the rising waters helped the goat to escape or that the cage had failed, but without the camera recording, no conclusion could be drawn. [1] [2]
In 2009, Gustave appeared in the Ruzizi river near Lake Tanganyika. [6]
In a 2019 article about travel in Burundi, a writer for Travel Africa Magazine reported learning that Gustave had been killed. [7] It is not said how, where and by whom he was killed and no photographic evidence has ever surfaced, leaving these claims dubious until concrete evidence is brought forward.
Gustave was the basis of the film 2007 horror film Primeval (originally titled Gustave). [8]
South Kivu is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Its capital is Bukavu.
Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. In 1894, German officer and colonial ruler Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to discover the lake.
Lake Placid is a 1999 American comedy horror film directed by Steve Miner and written by David E. Kelley. It is the first installment in the Lake Placid film series and stars Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Platt, Betty White, Meredith Salenger, and Mariska Hargitay. In the film, a giant crocodile terrorizes the fictional location of Black Lake, Maine, while a dysfunctional group of police and scientists attempt to capture or kill the beast.
Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Gerry Conway, Don Newton and Gene Colan, the character was introduced in Detective Comics #523. He has become one of the most enduring enemies of the superhero Batman and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.
Banyamulenge is a community that lives mainly in South Kivu province. The Banyamulenge are culturally and socially distinct from the Tutsi of South Kivu, with most speaking Kinyamulenge, a mix of Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Ha language, and Swahili. Banyamulenge their role in Mobutu's war against and victory over the Simba Rebellion, which was supported by the majority of other tribes in South Kivu, their role during the First Congo War and subsequent regional conflicts (Rally for Congolese Democracy–Goma, Movement for the Liberation of the Congo, National Congress for the Defence of the People, and more importantly for the fact that two of the most influential presidents of their country declared them as enemy of the State both in 1996 and 1998.
The Ruzizi is a river, 117 kilometres (73 mi) long, that flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa, descending from about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) to about 770 metres (2,530 ft) above sea level over its length. The steepest gradients occur over the first 40 kilometres (25 mi), where hydroelectric dams have been built. Further downstream, the Ruzizi Plain, the floor of the Western Rift Valley, has gentle hills, and the river flows into Lake Tanganyika through a delta, with one or two small channels splitting off from the main channel.
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Uvira is a city strategically located in the South Kivu Province of the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Covering approximately 16 square kilometers and with an estimated population of 726,000 as of 2024, it borders Bafuliru Chiefdom and Ruzizi Plain Chiefdom to the north, Bavira Chiefdom to the south, and Lake Tanganyika and the Ruzizi River to the east. These rivers form natural boundaries between the DRC and Burundi. Located in the Ruzizi Plain at a low altitude, the city lies between Burundi's Congo-Nile ridge and the Mitumba mountains.
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Crocodile attacks on humans are common in places where large crocodilians are native to human populations. Some 1,000 people are killed by crocodilians each year, with attacks occurring most frequently in the Southern US states and Australia.
Primeval is a 2007 American action-adventure horror film directed by Michael Katleman and starring Dominic Purcell, Orlando Jones, and Brooke Langton. Inspired partially by the true story of Gustave, a 20 ft (6.1 m), 2,000 pounds giant, man-eating Nile Crocodile in Burundi, the film centers on a team of American journalists who travel to Burundi to film and capture him.
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Uvira Territory is a territory located in South Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Encompassing an area of roughly 3,146 kilometers and with a population estimate of 1,165,092 as of 2020, it is bordered by Walungu Territory to the north, Mwenga Territory to the west, and Fizi Territory to the south. The territory's southeastern boundary is defined by the city of Uvira, which attained city status on 13 June 2019, while the eastern perimeter adjoins the Republic of Burundi and Lake Tanganyika. Within the territory, Kiliba and Sange serve as significant towns.
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Updated on 2007-01-08, 2007-04-19, and 2008-01-05
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