Case file · Cryptid
Gustave, the crocodile of the Ruzizi
A giant Nile crocodile nicknamed Gustave, said to be about 6 metres long and blamed for up to 300 deaths around the Ruzizi delta and northern Lake Tanganyika, was the subject of a failed capture attempt in 2004.
2004 CE · -3.35, 29.27 · status: account
The account
Naturalist Patrice Faye followed the animal for years and led the attempt filmed for the documentary 'Capturing the Killer Croc' (2004); a huge trap was built but Gustave never entered it. Local people say bullets cannot kill him, and he is said to bear scars from gunshots. Sightings continued into the 2010s.
The sceptical view
The death toll is unverified and a more careful estimate puts it at 60 or fewer; one very large crocodile may have become a legend that absorbs others' attacks.