Nile Crocodile - Houdini

Nile crocodiles can be found throughout the African Continent from freshwater habitats through to costal areas of West Africa. In southern Africa one was sighted 7 miles off the Zululand Coast!(In South Africa just below Mozambique)

The Nile Crocodile can grow very large indeed and the largest known length is 18 feet and weigh as much as 1,000 kilograms ( 2,200 pounds), which was extrapolated from hunters and game records. Because of their size Nile Crocodiles are able to eat almost anything when they are fully grown. They have been known to kill and eat antelope, zebra, warthogs, large domestic animals and even humans.

Nile Crocodiles and People

The Nile Crocodile has the reputation of being the biggest killer of beast and human on the African Continent.

In comparison with other dangerous or predatory animals responsible for human fatalities- lions, leopards, buffalos, hippo’s, hyenas, rhino’s and elephants- the Nile crocodile is more widely spread and more abundant than all of the other species combined.

Millions of people live and work near these lakes, rivers and lagoons and often the only forms of transport are canoes, rafts or by foot through their habitat. Ignorance of the crocodiles habitat and hunting methods means basic precautions are not being observed resulting in needless fatalities.

But out of all the records kept only 43 cases of crocodile attacks have been noted in Zululand (East Coast of South Africa) and Mozambique compared to nearly 60,000 Nile Crocodile skins which were exported from East Africa each year in the 1950’s.
So who is the killer?