Monster Crocodile in New Orleans

Michael Maffei sent me some giant crocodile pictures that have begun doing the rounds. They're accompanied by this caption:

Now this is a Crocodile ! This crocodile was found in New Orleans swimming down the street. 21 FT long, 4,500 lbs, around 80 years old minimum. Specialists said that he was looking to eat humans because he was too old to catch animals. This crocodile was killed by the army last Sunday at 3:00 pm, currently he is in the freezer at the Azur hotel. The contents of it's stomach will be analyzed this Friday at 2:30pm.

The pictures are real enough, but they're weren't taken in New Orleans. These are pictures of the Monster Crocodile of Pointe-Noire (in the Republic of the Congo). They've been circulating for over two years. David Emery notes that the crocodile was really estimated to be 16 feet long and weighed about 1874 lbs. That's still a lot bigger than I'd ever care to encounter.

image image image

Animals Photos

Posted on Fri Sep 16, 2005



Comments

What a sad picture! Why does it seem we destroy everything we come across. That crocodile, killed for whatever reason, should be alive, not strung up because other humans fear it. Even though all signs say this image is a hoax, someone had to kill that poor animal.
Posted by Burnsinblack  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  08:28 AM
As if it isnt bad enough that people died in NO, now there has to be some rediculous email circulating. As soon as I saw that I new it was junk!
Posted by ANGIE  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  09:48 AM
When I saw this email, my eyebrows lowered because it just sounded like something was wrong. I knew about alligators in that area, but I thought crocodiles...okay, maybe. Anyway, now that I know, I've since apologized to those who asked me about it and sent this site to my friend who sent the message to me. They are incredible pictures that didn't need to be sensationalized.
Posted by Tricia  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  10:18 AM
Even Utahns can tell the difference between reality and a hoax. It was probably someone in Wyoming or Idaho that started this. This is like saying the fish in the Great Salt Lake swim backwards to keep the salt out of their eyes....
Posted by Jason  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  11:08 AM
There are a couple of other clues indicating that this isn't in America. The men standing around in the pictures are obviously "true" Africans and not African American. Most African Americans are lighter in skin pigmentation. Not to mention the clothes that they are wearing. Also, given the media frenzy, such an event would have made the news in a big way. The markings on side of the container are also strange looking.
Posted by Harold  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  11:33 AM
Kade is the jerk that didn't believe the email and here is the real truth about the croc. Sorry to ruin your day. He likes to do that. Ashley
Posted by LaRee Sperry  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  01:12 PM
For completeness can somebody on this forum write
important points of difference between alligators
and crocodiles? Also, can I find one of these in
Iceland? (to eat of course) I am sick of eating
these damn seals round the year!
Posted by Igloo  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  01:37 PM
I belive that that a crocodile but just not from the U.S.. Especialy not over in N.O. Somebody dosen't have thir facts straight. :-{
Posted by The 1 and Only  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  01:43 PM
WHAT A CROC(K)!!!
Posted by Louise  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  10:45 PM
Were there any Alligators found in New Orleans after the storm was over. When thay started pumping the water out of the city. I could see were thay may be atracted bye the smill of dead bodys? But there has'nt been ant report of seeing any in the city ? Just wondering ???
Posted by Rick Cavitt  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  06:59 AM
Poor thing. Only man can ruin this world for all creatures who share it with us. Notice these are all guys?. These are the humans that should have been on the menu. <slurp> yum!
Posted by Wando'  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  07:04 AM
I knew this was fake the second I saw it & read the story. The only Crocs in the US are the American Croc, and this is obviously a Nile Croc. Amer Crocs are found only in Florida. They never get too old to catch animals, as they are ambush hunters. And those people! They are definitely NOT american - I wish we dressed that nice in this country. Called it B.S. right away
Posted by nunz  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  07:33 AM
I wonder..... where in the whole grand scheme of things do you guys see a license plate. Your words "license plate on the truck is not american." Is as big a lie as the pictures. Next time try to keep your smartness exactly where it belongs. To you.
Posted by None  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  07:54 AM
Someone asked the question as to where are the 'gators in New Orleans after Katrina hit. If the water was so polluted that people were getting chemical burns, then isn't it reasonable to expect the 'gators and snakes to NOT stick around? I expect we'll hear about these when the water is cleansed a bit more.
Posted by Bob Mitchell  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  07:57 AM
Why is there an American Crocodile then? And why can it be readily found here in Florida? Was your book missing a few pages? I seriously doubt the stories authenticity, but with an act of Nature the size and magnitude of that storm I'm not going to hastily pass off any of the stories that come out of N.O.
Posted by Robie  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  08:02 AM
Some people have left some really stupid comments. Sideways baseball caps and baggy pants - that was just wrong to try to sterio type all black people. I work with black people decked out in suits and ties.

As far as the poor animal having to die. I guess I should have respect for those that believe in the rights of animals. I personally have no problem with the thing being dead if they had no way to capture it safely. It did however need to be away from where humans were.

Some guy also said crocs don't exist in the states - research before you post buddy. There are crocs in south Florida - although they don't generally get as large as crocs in other parts of the world. Florida might be the only place that crocs and alligators coexist - notice I said "might be" though.
Posted by mike  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  10:18 AM
I work for a large insurance company and this email got circulated through hundreds of our agencies. It only took a few hours to debunk it as a hoax, but it goes to show how damaging phoney emails can be. Somehow, the origin of the email implied that the photos were from a pending insurance claim with our company, so the believability was real for many staff people. Now we're spending even more hours circulating the hoax factor, what a waste of time and money this created.
Posted by mary  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  10:26 AM
True crocs are not native to NO but there are zoos and other establishments that might have monster crocs. But good to know that there wasn't one swimming around making things worse for NO
Posted by B Kennedy  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  10:29 AM
I knew this was fake the first time i saw it.If it was true the news stations would still be talking about it. Also all black guys do not have dreadlocks,wear the caps to the side or wear baggy pants.
Posted by kitty  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  11:29 AM
I get so many email hoaxes that I HAD to verify it before I hit forward. It also bothered me that I couldn't see a license plate.
Posted by Ms. D  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  11:45 AM
Anyone know what this monster ate while he enjoyed his stay in Nawlins?
Posted by Just Curious  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  02:56 PM
:red: got me and alot of my friends but glad I looked it up.. Thanks every one for all the info boy do we feel silly : :exclaim:
Posted by debbie  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  04:09 PM
Ok yes there are no Crocodiles in New orleans the furthest north they are in North America Is SW Florida. For you people that thought there were no crocs in the states im sorry but you are very much wrong! The North American Crocodile with a max length of 20 feet but unconfirmed larger ones have been heard of. they are very rare so I doubt anyone here will ever see one unless they go to the everglades to Wootens, they have a quite large specimen there. if no one belives me look it up and you can see how wrong you actually are!

Rob
Posted by Robert  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  08:30 PM
Too funny! Some people will believe anything they read. A giant croc looking to eat people, on film, in New Orleans and nothing on the news. Aside from that, based on the clothing none of the black guys appear to be African American, more likely African. And no plates or other company insignia on the truck.
Posted by gman  on  Sat Sep 24, 2005  at  10:09 AM
:exclaim: fucking idiots :exclaim:
Posted by melliibabii  on  Sat Sep 24, 2005  at  02:51 PM
This is hilarious.....
The guys on the dock don't even dress like Americans....
Where's their baggy pants, at least one of them should be holding up their britches,
What, no white Nikes and no big tees.....
Hmm, no tag on the truck?
If it were shot, where are the wounds?...where is the blood?......
not one drop anywhere on the truck...
......how did it die.....how gory can I get?
If the Army killed it, where are they and why are they not helping put in on the truck?
Think about it..........
This..... is.....a...real croc-odile story.......
Posted by Mom of 4  on  Sat Sep 24, 2005  at  08:08 PM
What a croc(k)!

Louise, Qu
Posted by Louise  on  Sat Sep 24, 2005  at  11:09 PM
"Only man can ruin this world for all creatures?"

What a dimwit. So are all the other animal rights wackos posting their drivel ("poor crocodile," etc.)...simply because there are no clues as to how, exactly, this animal died.

Oh, just assume everything is the fault of humans. If so, why are you still here?

Sheesh...PETA dorks.
Posted by nonanimalrightswacko  on  Sun Sep 25, 2005  at  02:49 AM
I live in Chas. South Carolina, U.S.A., AND unfortn'ly we in the are getting "crocks" up here...the "4 legged man-eating type and the 2 legged "full of "crock"..type"
Due to all the B A D huricanes we(of the lower US) have had in the past years what IS TO STOP crocks from being "washed/blown/H2O[storm-surge] pushed" from it's " beaten S.Americas/Mexico pathes, & then up here??? ANY where along the lower coastlines.
I know after Hugo(a huge Africian born storm] we in the lowcountry got all kinds of African "transplants"; plants, birds, trees, weeds!!!! So how could a swimming H2O (amfib)animal be exempted from this FORCED movement???? My 2nd. thought after; "God, what a size" was "WHY did they kill it????!!!" I know all the obvious answ. man-eaters...bla bla bla...but if God allowed it to live to "whatever sz.& age it was where does man have the right to take it's life???
above e-m comment: "Just rehabilitate it, it's not that big a deal."
Yes, it is. It's not able to be done, trying teaching a snake not to strike!! !! They have a brain the size of a pea..they ARE a KILLING MACHINE BUT WE AS humans ARE "smarter ??" just keep out of their "turf" problem solved!! Ps; Jorge;" seriously needs to be sent back to school and learn where crocs live and where alligators live." J. We live here...you do not...we KNOW what lives around, with or near us....We maybe Southerners...but not dumb as "you folks" might think. & as to "what would this fellow would eat.....ANYTHING HE[she} WANTED>>>>>I can NOT think of anyone/thing...big enough to tell it NO !!!!!
Posted by J Wm  on  Sun Sep 25, 2005  at  11:42 AM
how dumb do some people think that we are. had this been in new orleans it would have been on the news..everything has been on the news except this.. look at the plates and the people who are suspose to be military.. and how did they freeze it with no electricity?? and on and on
Posted by twyla  on  Sun Sep 25, 2005  at  12:31 PM
The first impression of the photo looks already non american and more likely african. People in the US are definitely bigger. Other comments about location of crocodiles vs. aligators, and the truck's plate and the indentification of its speed limit were already mentioned in previous comments.
Posted by John  on  Mon Sep 26, 2005  at  03:14 AM
ok here we all know that mexico,texas and possibly new orleans are in the same area in a way. the croc that was found was obviously close where the hurricane was hitting at the time . i mean it isnt that impossible because they do swim so maybe it wasnt on the coast but couldnt that mean he could of been swimming around to the point of where he was right there when the storm hit i dont know all i can say is that this is some lake placid shit
Posted by joe lapinta  on  Mon Sep 26, 2005  at  06:59 AM
"It's sad people have to kill these things. It's been living all these years, and it got so big, yet they still had to kill it. Just rehabilitate it, it's not that big a deal."
posted by that dumbass Sakano


It is people like you that monsters like this get near villages and towns were humans live. People like you who yell save the Shark after a poor little 14 year old girl in florida gets half her body eaten by a shark! These creatures are fine when they are in there habitat, but I think that when human life is in danger because these monsters decide to flock to our habitat than they need to be killed! Better them than a human being! Kill to eat or kill not to be eaten! If you want to rehabilitate a crocodile than make sure all your friends are there with you on boat paddling your little happy asses toward the croc so you can stare into its sad eyes before it lundges at you smiling with its cute big teeth and crunches down on your head! Hehehehe!

PS: Yes there are Crocodiles in Florida and Florida by they way is not too far from New Orleans. As a matter of fact it is practically 230 miles if that. So a storm with floods could possibly bring fourth a monster from Florida into New Orleans. Not that I am saying this is a true pic in New Orleans, but that it is possible!

Sakano has been served by the phonedork!
Posted by phonedork  on  Mon Sep 26, 2005  at  09:05 AM
It's a real picture- just not a real gator. It's actually the fake monster used in the movie "Ed Wood." Boris Karloff had to rassle it in a swamp.

"Sakano has been served by the phonedork!"

Hey,phonedork! Can you finish a sentence without an exclamation! Give it a try! Thanks! ...pinhead...!
Posted by booch  on  Mon Sep 26, 2005  at  12:32 PM
I was suspicious of the pictures as well and disappointed that we are using the disaster in New Orleans to send fluke stories like this out. Where is our sympathy and respect?

I did find some interesting crocodillian information on this National Geographic page:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/crocmap/ax/frame_main.html
Posted by Sandy  on  Mon Sep 26, 2005  at  01:34 PM
HOW STUPID ARE AMERICANS! DO WE REALLY NOT KNOW WHEN PEOPLE ARE MAKING FOOLS OF US? STOP PASSING THIS MESS AROUND!
Posted by DEE VOTARY  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  06:30 AM
I didn't believe the story that the Army catched the croc, where are the soldiers in the photos? and obviously they're not carrying it in an Army vehicle
Posted by Raul  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  06:58 AM
i did the search on the hotel too as i don't remember that name from any of my trips there. and i could not figure out why they were calling it a croc and not a gatoe..oh because it was a crock..anyway, photos are still cool
but they could have done without the slam to mayor nagin..
Posted by e  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  01:07 PM
There are so many things that are wrong with this photo.
First thing that I noticed was that Crocs have a longer snout. And there are very very few North American crocs. They are endangered and I think the number is somewhere in the less than 500 range.
My 7 year old did a report on Crocodillians last year. He even noticed that the size was all wrong.
According to his research found on the "gatorland" website, American alligators can measure up to 18 feet, but are usually around 13 feet and weigh between 450 and 600 pounds. They also only live between 35 to 50 years in the wild.
No to mention all of the other "mistakes" in this photo........Thanks for offering a place to set things straight.
Posted by DK  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  02:22 PM
It is obviously a hoax. But there are alligator (not Croc) farms in the region that could have flooded and allowed large alligators to escape. The owners of some of these tourist traps pen up and over-feed alligators to enormous sizes, though a size this big is impossible. Interestingly, a lot of these farms keep and raise exotic animals illegally, so the idea of this could be plausible, but come on, 4,500 lbs! Why don't they say it was Nessie out there in the streets.
Posted by cewmd01  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  03:26 PM
Sorry folks. It's a Big Ole' Lie.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_croc_new_orleans.htm
Posted by Jeff B.  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  04:21 PM
There are so many moronic comments here that it's hard to contain myself...

THE TRUTH...FINALLY:

These pictures (and more) were taken at Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo (that's in Africa folks) on July 6, 2003 (and that's over two years before Katrina). It is/was a Nile Croc (that's right...a crocodile...NOT an alligator), was 16 feet and about 1900 pounds, and estimated to be ~50 year old. (Funny thing...they lied about its' size and age then too)

But don't take my word for it. Click on the link below and see for yourself...

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_pointe_noire_croc6.htm

Of course all of this information could be as erroneous as everything else, but at the least it shows that it is definitely not related to Katrina.
Posted by reh  on  Wed Sep 28, 2005  at  12:20 PM
How do you know that the three pictures are not real? The Croc looks mutated, as if it was to different pictures . Just so people know there is not a liecense plate on the back of the truck, all that you see are numbers. If people knew that the Croc was really dead then they would be calm cause they would know that it would not get them or anything. Any Way the point is that if you send a message to someone with out the information at the top of the screen then they will think that it is real... :coolsmile:
Posted by KJT  on  Wed Sep 28, 2005  at  02:51 PM
hey ppl if u noticed the picture isnt of a crocodile in new orleans its a different pic and they did find a croc and it was the one from the zoo
Posted by tyler  on  Wed Sep 28, 2005  at  07:35 PM
I think the Croc. Hunter is pissed off he couldn't get that sucker with he's bare hands...
Posted by Oh-Kami  on  Wed Sep 28, 2005  at  09:59 PM
Amazing that there are so many of you out there that are smart enough to figure this out, but dumb enough not to have good vocabulary. You're all losers!
Posted by Who cares  on  Thu Sep 29, 2005  at  11:25 AM
"People like you who yell save the Shark after a poor little 14 year old girl in florida gets half her body eaten by a shark! These creatures are fine when they are in there habitat, but I think that when human life is in danger because these monsters decide to flock to our habitat than they need to be killed!"

So, where did this girl in Florida get eaten by the shark? A crowded city street? Nope, I think it was the ocean, which is the habitat of sharks for a little bit under 400 million years. That is the result of us entering their habitat. Wanna swim where there are no sharks? Buy a pool. Same with people mauled by bears when they camp in forests, hikers attacked by cougars, natives snatched by crocodiles at river edges. Animals generally avoid human villages and such unless they have a problem (old, ill, injured). These are rarities known as rogues. Lions that stay at villages to hunt humans because they are weaker than normal prey. The Tsavo lions of the early 1900s would be a pristine example of this. The shark from 1916 off the coast of New Jersey that killed several people (and inspired Jaws) was thought to have been sick, explaining why it stuck so close to shore.

Regardless of that, the croc above is large for a Nile Crocodile, and if it were in the village, it was likely rogue, as well. This would endanger people, so thus, it was most likely killed out of defense. Nile Crocodiles in most of their range and most of their current extant subspecies are common, not even listed as being endangered. The Madagascar subspecies, which is smaller than the mainland populations, is considered threatened. If the animal was not rogue, it may have been suspected of killing someone from their village, leading to it being killed to be examined.
Posted by anonymous  on  Thu Sep 29, 2005  at  11:06 PM
who is the idiot woman who says the croc is not real. Everyone's is talking about how it is a big hoax that crocs aren't in louisiana and she busts up with: yeah, any normal human being wouldn't get anywhere close to something that big. yeah stupid, that's because its dead! any person with at least a 4th grade education can tell it's real, it just didnt come from New Orleans.
Posted by brandon  on  Fri Sep 30, 2005  at  09:00 AM
o, and then there's bill nye the science guy with all the information on sharks and crap and how it had to have had a disease, you moron, it doesnt have anything to do with sharks and cougars and stuff, its a hoax! the croc is real it just didnt get is from New Orleans, end of story!
Posted by brandon  on  Fri Sep 30, 2005  at  09:06 AM
Well then... First off, Nile crocs have been known to reach lengths of over 20', but they don't repeat DO NOT live on our continent, that's why they're called NILE crocodiles. It doesn't matter, though because we have all already heard the true story of where this croc came from. Now, as for all the people out there who do think this story is real...
YOU ARE ALL FRIGGIN MORONS! IT TOOK ME ABOUT 12 SECONDS OF CONTEMPLATION AFTER I HEARD ABOUT THIS (NOT SEEING ANY PICS, MIND YOU) TO REALIZE THAT SOMEBODY WAS YANKIN' MY GIRLFRIENDS FUCKING CHAIN.
Anyway, what does a cougar have to do with a crocodile?
Posted by Bradley  on  Fri Sep 30, 2005  at  10:36 PM
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