An enormous man-eating crocodile wreaked havoc on an entire community for decades, eating at least 80 people. Named 'Osama' by terrified locals after Bin Laden, the 16-foot, one-tonne beast lived in Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake and the world's second biggest. The nearby village of Luganga in Uganda lost a tenth of its population between 1991 and 2005 before the crocodile's killing spree was stopped.
Deadly Attacks on Villagers
Frightened villagers said the murderous crocodile would snatch children from the shore as they collected water. Fishermen reported seeing it deliberately overturn boats to eat the humans inside. One survivor, Paul Kyewalyanga, witnessed his brother Peter being attacked. Paul told The Sydney Morning Herald: "Osama just emerged from the water vertically and flopped into the boat. The back of the boat where I was sitting was submerged." Paul cried for help, but the crocodile clamped onto Peter's limb and dragged him. Paul recalled: "Peter was clutching the side screaming. They fought for about five minutes until I heard a tearing sound. Peter shouted, 'He's broken my leg.' Then he let go and was dragged into the lake. A few days later we found his head and his arm."
Capture of the Monster
Locals were terrified, with some jolting awake at night and praying for divine protection. Their appeals were answered in 2005 when the crocodile was captured by luring it into a cage with a cow lung. After a seven-day surveillance operation involving 50 village men and wildlife authorities, the crocodile was caught. When Osama lunged upward, he accidentally chomped down on a wire that coiled around his teeth. The team subdued the writhing monster with ropes and hauled him onto a pickup truck.
Fate of the Crocodile
Locals wanted Osama dead but were told it could not happen. Authorities said: "Even he has rights. He cannot be killed with impunity." Instead, Osama was handed over to Uganda Crocs' proprietors and used in a breeding programme. The facility also serves as a tourist destination where visitors can observe 5,000 crocodiles being prepared for slaughter. It remains uncertain whether Osama is still alive; given his age at capture (81 years) and the typical Nile crocodile lifespan of 60 to 80 years, he may have died.
