Posted on 03/08/2005 2:22:25 PM PST by Pyro7480
Uganda Nabs 16-Foot-Long, Man-Eating Croc
KAMPALA, Uganda (Reuters) - A 5-meter-long (16 ft) crocodile said to have eaten more than 80 people has been caught alive in Uganda and transferred to a sanctuary, officials said Tuesday.
The giant beast -- weighing about a ton-- was captured by wildlife experts who spent three nights camping in the bush before locating their target.
Residents told local media the crocodile killed 83 people over the last two decades, mostly fishermen plying their trade on Lake Victoria off the shores of Bugiri district.
"Much as the residents of Luganga wanted to kill the reptile after our rangers had captured it, it is our responsibility to protect it by removing it from that area and keeping it in a safe place," Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) spokeswoman Lillian Nsubuga told Reuters.
The beast - reportedly more than 60 years old -- was trapped using ropes and transported by pick-up truck to Buwama crocodile farm west of the capital Kampala.
The state-owned New Vision newspaper said it "roared" as it was released into a holding ground at the farm Monday.
Crocodiles sometimes attack and kill villagers collecting water or fishing in Lake Victoria, Africa's biggest lake.
Experts say most attacks are triggered as humans getting too close, and the crocodiles are protecting their territory.
I see I am in good company :-)
Don't have Crocs here, I think the Gators ate them all.
Haha, I hadn't even thought about that. You couldn't get me within a mile of an african river though!
I could use a few new belts and a new wallet :=)
I saw this at rotten.com some time ago. A golfer I believe.
I love the way the nature people give names to animals. Does this look like a Gustave to you?
WHY do I get the feeling that certain political opponents of the present ruler will meet this critter "up close and personal", never to be heard from again?
Sounds like the Florida wildlife patrol. Don't mess with the king's game, even if its dining on your family or neighbors -- its a worldwide theme.
A maneater? They ought to turn the tables and barbeque the beast.
I agree that they should have killed him.
He earned capital punishment -> ate 83 people!!!!
no you guys aren't thinking correctly,, take that croc on tour in the USA with a traveling animal show(also Letterman and Leno) and pay off the Ugandan debt in a year,,
That's because the first guy this croc ate was named Gustave.
I got 2 threads crossed. I had been at work since, 5:45 am CST
; )
We must be crazy
Being as you cruise silently here, you just gotta know that your screen name could spring most horrendously to life if you decided to get uppity here!
Having been witnesses to many a Zot, becoming number 84 for that croc would feel merciful.
Don't worry, I won't be uppity. I have seen zots as well... I can't say they exactly frighten me, but they are a bother.
My rule is that I only post on threads where my opinion coincides with at least a large percentage of Freepers. Which actually occurs fairly often, and not only on silly crocodile threads.
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