Posted on 10/09/2008 8:23:19 AM PDT by walford
A FEARSOME mutant fish has started killing people after feeding on human corpses, scientists fear.
They reckon that a huge type of catfish, called a goonch, may have developed a taste for flesh in an Indian river where bodies are dumped after funerals.
Locals have believed for years that a mysterious monster lurks in the water. But they think it has moved on from scavenging to snatching unwary bathers who venture into the Great Kali, which flows along the India-Nepal border.
The extraordinary creature has been investigated by biologist Jeremy Wade for a TV documentary to be shown on Five.
He said: “The locals have told me of a theory that this monster has grown extra large on a diet of partially burnt corpses. It has perhaps got this taste for flesh by feasting on remains of funeral pyres. There will be a few freak individuals that grow bigger than the other ones and if you throw in extra food, they will grow even bigger.”
Jeremy discounted theories that crocodiles could be responsible for the carnage before turning his attention to goonches – among the world’s biggest freshwater fish.
Dragged
He caught one which tipped the scales at 161lb and was nearly 6ft long – a world record weight and far bigger than any landed before.
He said: “If that got hold of you, there’d be no getting away.
An 18-year-old Nepali disappeared in the river last year, dragged down by something described as like an “elongated pig”.
But the first victim of a goonch attack was thought to have been a 17-year-old Nepalese boy.
He was killed in April 1988 as he cooled himself in the river.
Witnesses said he was suddenly pulled below the surface.
Three months later a young boy was dragged underwater as his father watched helplessly.
Five’s Nature Shock series starts on October 14 and Flesh Eating River Monster is on October 21 at 8pm.
Hairless Beach Apes; It’s what’s for Dinner.
It's enough to turn you against nature and make you hide under the bed. I'm going to have to stop reading FR posts.
Excellent points. There have been some amazing giant catfish stories on FR over the years.
a few years ago an underwater engineer told me they can’t get anyone to dive and service the base of Hoover Dam anymore on account of sturgeon the size of “VW’s” banging against the wall trying to migrate downstream...
Note to self - abandon noodling.
Ditto.
Although My Crazy Uncles would still think about it...
With enough Duct take and welding gloves....
(This huge sturgeon was caught on the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. According to information on Len's Sport Fishing Adventures website, the photograph was taken during a 2005 fishing expedition and was at the time the "Largest Fresh Water Fish caught by a British Subject". The expedition was led by Curtis Besse.)
Catastrophic!
I’m thinking of upgrading to 15-lb test line for that baby.
Brilliant!!
If you would like to be On of Off the Crypto ping list, please let me know.
Thanks, Dragonblustar
Thanks for the heads up!
This problem is off the scales!
Wow.....Bruce Boxleitner really needs a new agent.
For the record, the piece indicates the catfish scoffed bodies.
I think the word should be scarfed. As in “The fish scarfed up the dead ones”
But think of the caviar... There’s always a silver lining.
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