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May 20, 2005

Living With Predators - Crocs

First they thought the disappearances were the result of the tribal war being waged in the area. Then they thought the bizarre occurrences the work of a serial killer. Lake Tanganyika in Burundi is home to Gustave, proported to be the largest freshwater croc in Africa - some seven meters long. The locals rely on the lake as a water source - for drinking, washing, fishing, and bathing; but they live in fear of the great beast. More than three hundred deaths have now been attributed to Gustave's hearty appetite - not to mention that he supposedly once ate a full-grown hippo. Some even claim he pulls fisherman from their very boats! Repeated attempts have been made to capture Gustave, who may weigh as much as a two tons, but all they've managed to capture is a bit of video.

People live with crocs throughout the world, but while the people of Australia and the United States think of them as a bit of savage wildlife that might occassionally swallow a pet, the people in Africa have a much closer relationships with this predator. The tender meat and rough skins have significant value to the villagers, and the removal of these creatures can often increase the safety of the peoples who live along the rivers and lakes of Africa.

This tenuous relationship between people and crocs makes it difficult to work for conservation of crocs. Few people feel warm and fuzzy about these snaggle-toothed lizards. Now many species of crocs are declining, threatened or extinct.

The crocs are not doing anything wrong. They are just being crocs. In that area, their historic food supply is gone. People have overfished the lake.

We saw very few fish of any size. And a big croc isn't going to make a living by just eating fish. It will sometimes pull down an antelope or a baboon—something like that. But we saw no animals there—literally none—other than people.

The crocs are survivors, so they've turned to the next available food source. Unfortunately, that means humans.

Of course the people [there] are just trying to survive as well, so it's a delicate situation.

More at: Croc Capture Offers Lessons on Living With Killers

Many people deal with crocs and gators everyday. Read the latest news at Underwater Times. You can also learn more about crocs at Crocodilian Biology Database.

Posted by sorsha at May 20, 2005 1:52 PM