Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks
Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks

The Legend of Gustave, The Killer Crocodile

July 6, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In 1987, wanted posters went up in villages along the northern coast of Lake Tanganyika in Burundi. People were disappearing from the banks of the Rusizi River, and whispers spread about a crocodile so large and violent that he was becoming something mythological. The creature had three bullet wounds along his back, a scar on his shoulder from a failed spear attack, and a distinct bone protrusion on his head. But the detail that truly baffled researchers was this: he would kill people, and then leave without eating them.

The Search for Gustav

French naturalist Patrice Faye began investigating these deaths in 1997 after interviewing a fisherman whose brother had been killed. The fisherman insisted the crocodile hadn't eaten his brother. Faye dismissed it at first, but then heard the same story from another witness, and then another. Each described a massive crocodile that killed and left. Faye named the animal Gustav and began a two-year search along the 73-mile Rusizi River.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:12) **Episode Introduction & Banter** - The hosts open with casual conversation about movies, directors, and a trivia question about Ridley vs. Tony Scott vs. Tarantino.
  • 2 (04:49) **Introducing the Legend of Gustave** - Mike takes over to present the episode's subject: a legendary Nile crocodile believed to be one of the deadliest individual animals ever.
  • 3 (13:46) **The First Sightings and a Peculiar Pattern** - The first wanted posters for a giant crocodile appear in 1987, and a French naturalist named Patrice Faye begins investigating a string of strange deaths.
  • 4 (21:11) **A Survivor's Account and Crocodile Behavior** - Patrice meets Hatungimana Audifax, a 13-year-old who lost his leg to Gustave but was released, offering a clue to the crocodile's unusual hunting style.
  • 5 (24:36) **The Search for Gustave Intensifies** - After two years of searching, Patrice finally sees Gustave, confirming his immense size and age, but also discovering more oddities.
  • 6 (31:08) **The Mission to Capture Gustave** - Patrice gets permission from the Burundi Minister of Environment to capture Gustave alive for study, but he has a strict 60-day deadline.
  • 7 (35:31) **Nile Crocodile Biology and Facts** - Mike delivers a standard "facts slate" on Nile crocodiles to contextualize how exceptional Gustave is.

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Show Notes

During one of the most violent stretches in it's country's history, Burundi was terrorized by a massive Nile crocodile that was said to be responsible for the deaths of 300 people. A small team came together and the hunt began.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/OL1Etn-qunI

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Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks

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