Gustave the Crocodile

Born

1955-01-01

Birthplace

Lake Tanganyika, Burundi

Biography

Gustave is an infamous man-eating male Nile crocodile likely to have killed over 300 people in the area of the Ruzizi River and the northern shores of Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, Africa. He is a cunning predator, known for his intelligence; he has evaded numerous capture attempts, including large traps baited with goats. Gustave's exact length and weight are unknown, though most sources, including National Geographic in 2002, have estimated he could be easily more than 20 feet (6.1 m) long and weigh more than 2,000 pounds (907 kg). He is estimated to be roughly 71 years old as of 2026 (hatched 1955) and still growing. Larger crocodile species like the Nile crocodile have a potential life span of 100 years.