Zimbabwe is located in the southern part of Africa, below the equator. The climate is tropical, although it can get dry where the elevation is higher. Crocodiles are common in the rivers that run through Zimbabwe, including in the Savé Valley where the man and his team hunted the crocodile. Garrett Wales, a resident of Texas, was visiting Zimbabwe on a hunting trip. He heard about a legendary Nile crocodile that was 15 feet long and weighed around 1,000 pounds. Well, everything is bigger in Texas so Wales decided to go after the monstrous crocodile. It’s important to note that Wales was an experienced hunter and had the support of a knowledgeable team. Not everyone can or should go after a 1,000-pound crocodile. Without the right equipment and know-how, you may just end up as the croc’s lunch. This crocodile had gotten so large that it was starting to become a problem for local residents and posed a true danger. The crocodile was rumored to live in a nearby pond that was also where the residents took their goats to get water. “A frequent spot to water goats and cattle while traveling between villages, it was only a matter of time,” wrote Wales on his social media account when he shared about the croc.
An Apex Predator
The problem was that the crocodile was also very elusive. It had survived for many years to become so large, mostly by evading people who might want to hunt it. Crocodiles are the apex predators in their environment. This means that no other animal species goes after a crocodile as prey. On the other hand, crocodiles frequently make meals out of other animals that live in and near rivers, lakes, and ponds. Compared to alligators, crocodiles are aggressive and very, very large. It’s no wonder that the residents of this area worried about a giant crocodile living so close! “No one we knew had actually seen it,” said Wales. That didn’t deter him or his team from beginning their hunt.
We’re Going on a Crocodile Hunt
It took Wales five full days to find the massive crocodile. He camped out at a pond where it might come. While he did spot it from time to time, he didn’t get a clear shot at the crocodile until the fifth day. The team was ready for a break and decided to leave their stakeout spots to get some lunch. One person suggested checking the pond one more time before they left the area. When they came around the corner, the giant was sitting right on the bank. “We were expecting to maybe see him in the reeds, but he was on our side of the bank just five to seven yards from us,” said Wales. Wales killed the crocodile and it took a team of nine people to move him from the bank. Wales posted pictures to social media of himself next to the crocodile. The crocodile is more than twice his length and it’s easy to see why it would be called a “man-eating crocodile.” While there aren’t any accounts of the crocodile eating people, it’s not too hard to imagine that it would have been capable of it. Fortunately for the residents of the Savé Valley, Wales got to the crocodile first.
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