Gustave: Truth Behind the Killer

Here’s the In-depth video about Gustave, the Killer Nile Crocodile of Burundi. Here we examine the facts, myths, and lies surrounding this crocodile. Reports of him attacking people date back to 1987, but it was when Patrice Fate saw Gustave that what we know about him today came to light.

Book Description:
Crocodilians are one of the most interesting, yet misunderstood predators on this planet. Much about what we know surrounding crocodilians is rooted in a history that is full of false information. Subjects such as enormous crocodilians, the history of alligators living in sewers, and their evolution are usually answered with faulty facts. In addition, there is still much we don’t understand about these animals, such as their taxonomy, biology, behavior, and more. Did you know crocodilians show signs of regeneration, what’s going on there?

To find the truth in all the lies, exaggerations, or unknowns, one must either spend decades studying these animals or pay a hefty price buying complex literature. What We Get Wrong About Crocodilians fixes these problems. The book looks over myths, misconceptions, and mysteries surrounding these animals for an affordable price and is written for a more general audience to understand. The topics discussed range from the 5th century B.C.E. to present day. Some of the topics will be recognizable, some are generally unknown to many, and some may be shocking. Whether you are causally interested in these animals, or have spent decades studying them, What We Get Wrong About Crocodilians will present information rarely discussed and enlighten all.

Huge Crocodiles, Monster Crocodiles, Large Crocodiles, Krys the Crocodile

#shorts #crocodile #alligator #reptile #reptilesofinstagram #zoo #lazoo #SanDiego #sandiegozoo #animals #pets #exotic #lizard #snake #turtle #tortoise #gharial #caiman #reptilesofyoutube #dinosaur #lofi

[gatorjake]

Support me and the channel by buying my book "What We Get Wrong About Crocodilians". It takes a look at subjects many get wrong about these animals from giant crocodiles, alligators in sewers, the Ramree massacre, them eating fruits, and more. Link below to buy on either Amazon, Lulu (international shipping), or Barnes & Noble for paperback, OR on Google Books and GumRoad for digital.
Australian buyers, buy through Lulu. Amazon will not ship to Australia.

Seen this type of comment a few times, so I’ll address it here. A 100 year old, wild crocodile would have little to no teeth left. Yes, crocodilians will regrow their teeth throughout their life, but this doesn’t happen endlessly. There are plenty of truly old crocodilians who no longer replace their teeth like they once did. Acco of Australia Zoo is an example of an old croc who doesn’t have a large set of teeth anymore. Lolong’s age was even estimated at 50-60 years based on teeth as one of the many factors in the study titled “Here be a dragon: exceptional size in a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) from the Philippines”. Wilfred T. Neil in his book “The Last of the Ruling Reptiles” even wrote for alligators “Tooth replacement ceases in old alligators, which may be nearly toothless during the last decade or so of life”. I know tooth regeneration can be prolonged in captive settings, with Grandma, an old Tomistoma of the Phoenix Herpetological Society, being an example. Grandma had barely any teeth when she arrived at the sanctuary. However, they changed her diet and increased the amount of calcium she got. She ended up getting some new tooth buds, but she didn’t start getting robust teeth. This careful precision in nutrition can not be replicated in the wild, so a 100 year old, wild crocodile would be experiencing tooth loss.

Also, I know there are claims of crocodilians that are over 100 years old in captivity, but these aren’t really confirmed. These were estimates based on mature individuals showing up to a Zoo and then adding up the years since they’ve been there. Grahame Webb, who helped estimate the age of Cassius, even said he’s not 100% sure of his age. Telling the age of a crocodilian is extremely hard, and is one of the sections in my book. Gomek, the large Saltwater Crocodile that lived at St. Augustine Alligator, looked almost the same when he died compared to when he was captured. Combine this with the fact that, as I said in the video, growth does not determine age, it’s hard for us to take these claims of 100+ year old crocodiles as certain. Maybe they are as old as the zoos claim, but this isn’t 100% known. Perhaps I’ll make a video on this, as it’s an interesting subject, but if you want to learn more about the aging in crocodilians you can read my book.

[kirrus]

He's actually still alive, he called me yesterday to ask me if I wanted to grab a beer in the local pub

[aqsaad.ismail]

I live in Burundi, and nobody has news of the croc. But his death would have been a known thing in town, but no such news

[adamfernandez]

I feel like if he was killed there would be pictures.

[Saberrex]

I don't think Gustave was killed. There are too many holes in the story put out by the magazine for that. Beyond this, if someone had killed him, they would have brought the body back. I'm tempted to wonder if he either is still alive and simply moved to a new territory, or if he simply died of old age somewhere where no one found him.

[zulco]

Regarding the croc mention at "Batang Lupar, Sarawak". Its named "Bujang Senang". Killed on May 1992 after being hunted for more than a decade. Unlike Gustave, Bujang Senang is easier to identified because of the iconic white stripes on his back all the way to its tail. The exact amount of victims are between 10-20 as the reported eyewitness can easily identified him from other crocs. Lastly its official length is slightly above 19 feet.

[shawnpanzegraf]

I somehow doubt that all the “Leave the poor crocodile alone” opinions would remain the same, had Gustave dismembered and eaten sixty people in the opinion-holder’s home town/city.

Easy to be pro-nature at all costs, when it’s people you’ll never meet bearing those costs.

Know who gets to make statements like that? People like the Irwin family, who were on TV pleading w/ people not to kill or molest any rays, even before they’d had an opportunity to properly say goodbye to their husband/father.

[anthonyhunt]

If steve Irwin knew of gustave he would want to see him

[pavlovsdogman]

I think he died of old age or had a heart attack while in the water and his body sank to the bottom where other crocs, fish and scavengers devoured him.

[Spooky_]

I’ve gotten word from reliable sources that Gus faked his own death and headed off into the sunset with his old lady. They live off in the cut at some off the radar island and just want to enjoy life after celebrity

[justkidding]

Gustave is infamous alright but I’m pretty sure not every attack is by him. It’s ridiculous to assume that he’s the only one killing these people alone. Even the hunter that dedicated his life to hunting Gustave confirmed that the crocs kill count isn’t any more than what people assumed.

[dragonfang]

If he is still alive props to him that goes to show he is not your average everyday croc, but if he is dead he went down like a legend

[lion-dmwc]

they tried to k1ll/capture him so many times..imagine how smart he became after decades of dealing with hunters trying to end his long, extraordinaary life.
if he had passed, it's due to hunger/starvation.

[Montzibankering]

The 16 ft croc of batang lupar river is actually measured 19 feet 3 inches long and its name was Bujang Senang..

[agentdarcbootie]

Gustave is alive and well. He just called me yesterday cause he said he needed to borrow about tree fiddy

[tonyorob]

The 2007 horror movie, Primeval, was about Gustave; really good movie.

[troygoodbroy]

I might be wrong but I am pretty sure I heard croc experts say crocs don't stop growing, or maybe i heard it out of context and miss understood but I think they can keep growing based on circumstances

[Sanctionedmass]

fun fact gustave was more likely to be around 65 to 50 years old and he was still growing. that meanes he wuold get even bigger than he was then. gustave was an absolute beast and i hope hes alive to we can bewonder him.

[jeffreyblock]

Croc ate 300 people in a village of 100

[antoniodelrey]

Can you imagine killing a living creature that was over a hundred years old. It was his river for millions of years before humans. But in the end he’s history…