nashuaworldcup Chapter 196 Punishment from Earth (2)
Chapter 196 Punishment from Earth (2)
Far away in Africa, in Burundi, along Lake Tanganyika and the Ruzizi River, there is a Nile crocodile.
This huge crocodile, with a body length of 20 feet and a weight of nearly 1 ton, is the largest crocodile ever confirmed in Africa, so people named it "Gustav". The name comes from a siege artillery during World War II, which is also the heaviest and largest artillery in history - "Heavy Gun Gustav".
The Nile crocodile is the second largest crocodile species in the world. They are burly, opportunistic top predators that can prey on almost any animal in their range. From fish to waterfowl to large vertebrates such as antelope and buffalo, they are all on their food list.
However, Gustav was not only notable for his huge size, but also notorious for his cannibalistic tendencies.
Gustave's killing record dates back decades, and its presence has been a threat to residents near Lake Tanganyika in Burundi since 1987.
According to rumors, it once preyed on up to 300 people on the banks of the Ruzizi River and the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Although this number is exaggerated, Gustave has become an almost mythical giant crocodile in the local area and the locals are very afraid of it.
Gustave's story has attracted the attention not only of locals but also of scientists, many of whom have tried to solve the mystery of this man-eating crocodile, as well as explorers and documentary makers.
Gallic biologist Patrice Faye has been looking for Gustave since 1998. He explored Gustave's habitat in depth, trying to understand its habits and whereabouts.
After seeing Gustav's true appearance, Faye described it this way: "Gustav is like a prehistoric beast. I have never seen such a crocodile. It is like a dead body carved on the ground by chance. Its head is very strange, with a bone-like flesh crown on each side."
After each attack on humans, Gustav would disappear for months or even years, then reappear in a different place to continue killing. No one could predict when and where Gustav would appear next, which made him an even more mysterious existence.
Faye spent a year walking along the route where it appeared and found that 17 people were eaten in several areas where it appeared.
There are even rumors that Gustave once killed an adult male hippopotamus. Generally speaking, crocodiles will prey on hippopotamus calves, but even a fierce water overlord like the Nile crocodile does not dare to easily provoke an adult hippopotamus.
Gustave's body bore many scars from knives, spears, and even firearms, yet all the hunters who had fought him had failed to kill him. There was a black spot on his head, the mark of a bullet, but that had not put an end to his killing spree.
In 2002, Faye and a documentary crew tried to capture Gustave using a giant underwater trap, but his intelligence exceeded everyone's expectations.
Although Gustav appeared near the trap as the scientists expected, he never approached it. He just wandered around the trap - as if to provoke, as if to laugh at the useless efforts of the scientists.
According to some local rumors, people even believed that Gustav's cannibalism was not only to satisfy his hunger, but also to enjoy killing. Because Gustav almost never ate all the humans and other animals he attacked. He threw the bloody bodies on the shore, which was a horrifying scene.
But in fact, crocodiles will not have fun in this way. It's just that they have very low requirements for food, so after the prey is killed, it is rarely eaten in its entirety.
As for why Gustave often preys on humans, it is mainly due to his huge size. He is almost three times larger than other crocodiles in Burundi, which makes it difficult for him to catch faster animals.
Gustave cannot feed on fish and small mammals like other crocodiles in Burundi, so he prefers to lurk on the river bank, waiting for an opportunity to attack and prey on larger, slower mammals, and even humans and some fishermen bathing in the river.
Scientists have studied Gustave's dental arch to try to determine its age. Based on the wear and tear of the dental arch and the growth rings, it is estimated that Gustave was probably around 60 years old at the time. Generally speaking, the lifespan of wild Nile crocodiles can reach 70-100 years.
Gustave has not been seen since 2016. While there are rumors that it was killed, there is no physical evidence to support this claim, and no remains have been collected.
Therefore, scientists speculate that this giant crocodile may still be active outside. After all, its territory is very vast, covering almost the entire Lake Tanganyika and its tributaries.
To this day, the fate of the giant man-eating crocodile remains unknown, and it remains a mystery whether it is still alive and continues to prowl Africa's lakes and rivers, continuing its killing spree.
Perhaps Gustav was just laying low, waiting for his next strike.
Today, something unexpected happened. Due to some kind of radiation, this extremely ferocious and brutal crocodile has undergone an amazing transformation! Its size has increased dramatically, reaching a length of 150 meters, and it has transformed into a rare super beast in the world! Not only that, its body, which was originally as solid as a rock, has become more solid and firm; at the same time, its intelligence has also been greatly improved. Now, it seems to have been reborn, and its bloodthirsty nature seems to be stronger and more brutal! From the moment it reappeared in the world, it pounced on a tribe with a thunderous force and swallowed up 197 lives in one breath! That's right, it is the bloodthirsty crocodile that makes people tremble with fear--Gustav!
In the vast South Pacific, there is a mysterious island, which is like a shining pearl inlaid between the blue sea and sky. This island is the dreaded Skull Island.
Back in time, this desolate land was once a territory under the colonial rule of the former glorious British Empire. However, with the end of World War II, the British Empire gradually declined and eventually abandoned this remote island reluctantly.
Before leaving, they conducted a series of thrilling nuclear tests and genetic experiments on the island, which undoubtedly brought irreparable damage and disaster to the originally peaceful island.
Just as the last batch of researchers were preparing to evacuate, a sudden chaos disrupted the original plan. An innocent orangutan unfortunately became a victim of the experiment and was forcibly injected with a mysterious and dangerous genetic material. Taking advantage of the chaos, the orangutan with strange powers successfully escaped and disappeared into the vast jungle...