1 00:00:01,512 --> 00:00:04,752 WILLIAM SHATNER: Man-eating lions that stalk human prey. 2 00:00:04,752 --> 00:00:04,753 WILLIAM SHATNER: Man-eating lions that stalk human prey. (man screaming) 3 00:00:04,753 --> 00:00:06,322 (man screaming) 4 00:00:06,388 --> 00:00:10,430 Killer crocodiles that attack without warning. 5 00:00:10,496 --> 00:00:14,839 And great white sharks that are out for blood. 6 00:00:14,839 --> 00:00:14,840 And great white sharks that are out for blood. (man screaming) 7 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:16,542 (man screaming) 8 00:00:16,643 --> 00:00:20,483 Since the dawn of civilization, mankind has known 9 00:00:20,651 --> 00:00:22,788 that wild animals are dangerous, 10 00:00:22,788 --> 00:00:22,856 that wild animals are dangerous, and if provoked, they might attack. 11 00:00:22,856 --> 00:00:26,295 and if provoked, they might attack. 12 00:00:26,362 --> 00:00:29,402 But what about when a deadly predator kills people 13 00:00:29,534 --> 00:00:33,242 not just once but time and time again? 14 00:00:33,309 --> 00:00:35,982 Is it possible that some creatures hunt us down 15 00:00:36,115 --> 00:00:38,052 because they actually have a taste 16 00:00:38,252 --> 00:00:40,658 for human flesh? 17 00:00:40,758 --> 00:00:44,699 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 18 00:00:44,732 --> 00:00:46,770 ♪ ♪ 19 00:01:04,839 --> 00:01:06,509 Thousands of workers have come to this 20 00:01:06,609 --> 00:01:08,680 remote patch of the African savannah 21 00:01:08,747 --> 00:01:12,755 to build a new railroad line for the British Empire. 22 00:01:14,692 --> 00:01:16,797 One night, as the men sleep, 23 00:01:16,896 --> 00:01:19,669 they're awakened by the sound of screaming. 24 00:01:19,669 --> 00:01:20,972 (man screaming) 25 00:01:21,171 --> 00:01:23,209 They quickly realize 26 00:01:23,309 --> 00:01:25,380 that a fearsome lion has crept into the camp 27 00:01:25,513 --> 00:01:28,252 and is attacking a man in his tent. 28 00:01:29,521 --> 00:01:33,797 BRUCE PATTERSON: A big male lion entered the tent of a foreman, 29 00:01:33,864 --> 00:01:37,872 seized him by the head, dragged him out screaming and kicking 30 00:01:37,905 --> 00:01:42,181 into the bush, where, uh, his remains were found the next day. 31 00:01:42,313 --> 00:01:44,385 And there was very little left of him. 32 00:01:45,420 --> 00:01:49,563 But his head was left almost completely intact, 33 00:01:49,662 --> 00:01:52,735 pierced on the sides by the lion's teeth, 34 00:01:52,768 --> 00:01:57,678 his eyes wide open, frozen in a look of horror and fear. 35 00:01:59,615 --> 00:02:01,085 SHATNER: The savage killing of the foreman 36 00:02:01,185 --> 00:02:03,658 marked the beginning of a vicious murder spree 37 00:02:03,757 --> 00:02:08,199 carried out by not one but two vicious lions, 38 00:02:08,365 --> 00:02:10,437 who quickly earned the nickname, 39 00:02:10,637 --> 00:02:13,644 the Tsavo Man-Eaters. 40 00:02:13,677 --> 00:02:17,350 LARISSA DeSANTIS: The two man-eaters were particularly large. 41 00:02:17,450 --> 00:02:20,792 They were upwards of nine feet in length. 42 00:02:20,891 --> 00:02:23,864 We know that these two lions were both males. 43 00:02:23,964 --> 00:02:26,336 And they don't have the large iconic manes 44 00:02:26,435 --> 00:02:28,472 that you would expect of most African lions. 45 00:02:30,243 --> 00:02:32,682 So these lions were smart. They were patient. 46 00:02:32,782 --> 00:02:36,656 They were able to effectively hunt their prey, 47 00:02:36,790 --> 00:02:39,161 and if you have the element of surprise, 48 00:02:39,261 --> 00:02:41,498 humans really can't do anything about that. 49 00:02:42,601 --> 00:02:46,810 There were 3,000 men camped along the rail lines, 50 00:02:46,943 --> 00:02:49,115 and that left the men in tents there 51 00:02:49,247 --> 00:02:51,518 vulnerable to attacks by lions. 52 00:02:52,588 --> 00:02:56,162 The two male lions descended on railway crews, 53 00:02:56,261 --> 00:02:59,869 and began systematically hunting, killing 54 00:02:59,936 --> 00:03:04,445 and consuming railway workers on the edge of this camp. 55 00:03:04,511 --> 00:03:08,920 Of course, the crews became completely dispirited, 56 00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:08,954 Of course, the crews became completely dispirited, and this sparked panic, 57 00:03:08,954 --> 00:03:11,358 and this sparked panic, 58 00:03:11,425 --> 00:03:16,202 this sparked desperation, this sparked mass desertion. 59 00:03:17,270 --> 00:03:20,611 It was headline news back in England at the time, 60 00:03:20,711 --> 00:03:23,483 where in Parliament, delays in the construction 61 00:03:23,583 --> 00:03:26,422 of the railway were discussed as being 62 00:03:26,556 --> 00:03:29,361 attributed to these problematic lions. 63 00:03:30,429 --> 00:03:32,668 SHATNER: News of the savage attacks carried out 64 00:03:32,735 --> 00:03:36,710 by the Tsavo Man-Eaters made headlines around the world. 65 00:03:36,810 --> 00:03:40,016 And many began to wonder why these two lions 66 00:03:40,283 --> 00:03:44,357 were deliberately killing and eating so many people. 67 00:03:45,526 --> 00:03:49,669 Incidents of man eating among lions is very unusual. 68 00:03:50,704 --> 00:03:53,342 Lions typically eat zebra, 69 00:03:53,442 --> 00:03:57,284 wildebeest, buffalo, things that eat grass. 70 00:03:57,517 --> 00:04:02,595 They know their prey very well, but a man-eating lion must study 71 00:04:02,728 --> 00:04:06,335 the habits of humans and learn to... 72 00:04:06,468 --> 00:04:09,275 adjust to them in order to be successful 73 00:04:09,441 --> 00:04:11,345 in their food acquisition. 74 00:04:13,750 --> 00:04:17,725 DeSANTIS: We don't see lions attacking and hunting 75 00:04:17,791 --> 00:04:21,432 and trying to go after people most of the time. 76 00:04:21,566 --> 00:04:24,071 But these two lions in particular 77 00:04:24,337 --> 00:04:27,611 were sort of committed to the practice of man eating. 78 00:04:27,745 --> 00:04:29,883 -(lion growling) -It's possible 79 00:04:30,016 --> 00:04:32,821 that then we became a preferred food. 80 00:04:34,692 --> 00:04:38,833 SHATNER: On December 9, 1898, nine months after their reign 81 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:43,509 of terror began, the first Tsavo lion was shot and killed. 82 00:04:45,513 --> 00:04:48,787 20 days later, the second lion met the same fate. 83 00:04:50,389 --> 00:04:52,595 But by then, the pair of man-eaters had 84 00:04:52,795 --> 00:04:54,498 already killed and eaten 85 00:04:54,665 --> 00:04:59,408 an astonishing 135 people. 86 00:04:59,541 --> 00:05:01,445 CORBIN MAXEY: There's no evidence 87 00:05:01,511 --> 00:05:04,484 that shows that the Tsavo Man-Eaters were starving. 88 00:05:04,552 --> 00:05:07,357 There was actually plentiful prey in the area-- 89 00:05:07,558 --> 00:05:09,395 wildebeests, 90 00:05:09,562 --> 00:05:13,369 zebra, gazelles, hippos. 91 00:05:13,502 --> 00:05:16,643 And yet they chose to eat humans. 92 00:05:16,809 --> 00:05:19,514 It is a very unusual situation. 93 00:05:21,686 --> 00:05:23,657 SHATNER: The Tsavo Man-Eaters are perhaps the most 94 00:05:23,823 --> 00:05:26,461 infamous lions in history. 95 00:05:26,562 --> 00:05:29,602 Their seemingly insatiable desire to kill humans 96 00:05:29,735 --> 00:05:32,575 taps into our most primal fears, 97 00:05:32,641 --> 00:05:35,747 and is a reminder that our ancient ancestors lived 98 00:05:35,814 --> 00:05:39,989 in constant fear of being attacked by dangerous predators. 99 00:05:41,091 --> 00:05:43,697 NATALIA REAGAN: Early on, our ancestors were often 100 00:05:43,797 --> 00:05:47,370 preyed upon because we don't have giant 101 00:05:47,470 --> 00:05:50,477 claws and armor and things of that sort. 102 00:05:50,544 --> 00:05:53,584 We've got this big brain that can help us hopefully 103 00:05:53,683 --> 00:05:56,054 outthink and outcompete these predators, 104 00:05:56,054 --> 00:05:56,121 outthink and outcompete these predators, but given the right circumstances, 105 00:05:56,121 --> 00:05:59,528 but given the right circumstances, 106 00:05:59,729 --> 00:06:01,966 we're very vulnerable. 107 00:06:02,835 --> 00:06:05,139 We humans like to think that we're 108 00:06:05,139 --> 00:06:05,172 We humans like to think that we're at the top of the food chain. 109 00:06:05,172 --> 00:06:07,343 at the top of the food chain. 110 00:06:07,410 --> 00:06:09,481 But thousands and thousands of years ago, 111 00:06:09,548 --> 00:06:13,455 we were eaten alive by almost any and everything. 112 00:06:13,556 --> 00:06:16,128 And what is very interesting about that is 113 00:06:16,128 --> 00:06:16,195 And what is very interesting about that is scientists have actually shown infants 114 00:06:16,195 --> 00:06:19,535 scientists have actually shown infants 115 00:06:19,669 --> 00:06:23,711 images of snakes, images of spiders, 116 00:06:23,777 --> 00:06:26,549 and infants who have never seen these animals before 117 00:06:26,616 --> 00:06:28,887 will freak out, they'll show a fear response. 118 00:06:29,020 --> 00:06:31,158 They'll cry. That's an alarm call. 119 00:06:31,158 --> 00:06:31,191 They'll cry. That's an alarm call. That is innate. It's in our DNA. 120 00:06:31,191 --> 00:06:33,095 That is innate. It's in our DNA. 121 00:06:35,232 --> 00:06:37,170 SHATNER: More than a hundred years after the attacks 122 00:06:37,170 --> 00:06:39,240 by the Tsavo Man-Eaters, 123 00:06:39,507 --> 00:06:42,313 the mystery of what made these two lions target people 124 00:06:42,447 --> 00:06:45,353 lingers in the public consciousness. 125 00:06:45,486 --> 00:06:48,192 So much so that their skulls are 126 00:06:48,492 --> 00:06:51,298 on display at the Field Museum of Natural History 127 00:06:51,498 --> 00:06:53,904 in Chicago, Illinois, 128 00:06:54,037 --> 00:06:56,542 where scientists continue to study them 129 00:06:56,609 --> 00:07:00,985 in search of clues as to why they became man-eaters. 130 00:07:01,084 --> 00:07:03,791 And according to the latest research, 131 00:07:03,923 --> 00:07:06,261 it appears the lions' murderous rampage 132 00:07:06,261 --> 00:07:06,362 it appears the lions' murderous rampage may have ironically had something to do 133 00:07:06,362 --> 00:07:09,669 may have ironically had something to do 134 00:07:09,869 --> 00:07:11,740 with their teeth. 135 00:07:12,808 --> 00:07:15,915 PATTERSON: The teeth of lions, they're used to crack bones 136 00:07:16,048 --> 00:07:18,820 and get the marrow that's inside them, 137 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,661 and it's quite typical in lion dentitions to find 138 00:07:22,728 --> 00:07:26,837 missing or broken teeth associated with this heavy use. 139 00:07:27,838 --> 00:07:31,479 It's not typical, however, to find dental disease. 140 00:07:31,612 --> 00:07:34,217 Yet, in the case of the Tsavo lion, 141 00:07:34,217 --> 00:07:34,284 Yet, in the case of the Tsavo lion, we had a broken lower right canine 142 00:07:34,284 --> 00:07:37,357 we had a broken lower right canine 143 00:07:37,591 --> 00:07:42,669 whose pulp cavity was exposed about a third of an inch across. 144 00:07:42,768 --> 00:07:46,609 That would have been excruciatingly painful. 145 00:07:46,676 --> 00:07:50,182 This is a cast of the skull of the first man-eater, 146 00:07:50,282 --> 00:07:54,726 and this is the broken lower right canine tooth 147 00:07:54,825 --> 00:07:58,567 that ultimately became diseased and impacted. 148 00:07:59,702 --> 00:08:02,641 This lion would have been unable to administer the killing bite 149 00:08:02,708 --> 00:08:07,050 that lions use to take down large, struggling prey. 150 00:08:07,116 --> 00:08:10,724 So we think that the arrival of the railway workers in camp 151 00:08:10,857 --> 00:08:13,697 happened at exactly the right time 152 00:08:13,863 --> 00:08:16,435 for this individual lion, that, 153 00:08:16,602 --> 00:08:19,676 as it had become incapable 154 00:08:19,742 --> 00:08:23,248 of taking down buffalo, it looked on people 155 00:08:23,248 --> 00:08:23,316 of taking down buffalo, it looked on people with a new eye and a new appetite. 156 00:08:23,316 --> 00:08:26,856 with a new eye and a new appetite. 157 00:08:28,292 --> 00:08:30,430 SHATNER: Did a debilitating toothache turn the first 158 00:08:30,597 --> 00:08:32,467 Tsavo lion into a man-eater 159 00:08:32,734 --> 00:08:36,776 because humans are softer prey that were easier to bite? 160 00:08:36,943 --> 00:08:39,582 It's a compelling theory. 161 00:08:39,682 --> 00:08:41,986 But scientists have verified that the other 162 00:08:42,086 --> 00:08:44,959 Tsavo lion's teeth were perfectly healthy. 163 00:08:45,092 --> 00:08:48,265 So why did it join in the killing? 164 00:08:48,298 --> 00:08:52,174 MAXEY: One of the Tsavo lions had extreme dental issues. 165 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,914 The second lion did not have those dental injuries. 166 00:08:56,014 --> 00:08:58,519 So why would this lion go towards humans? 167 00:08:58,620 --> 00:09:00,023 It's because it learned from the other lion 168 00:09:00,156 --> 00:09:03,897 that humans are an easy target. 169 00:09:04,030 --> 00:09:06,603 Constantly, predators are-are learning 170 00:09:06,769 --> 00:09:08,172 from success, from failures. 171 00:09:08,172 --> 00:09:08,238 from success, from failures. They're learning from others. 172 00:09:08,238 --> 00:09:09,643 They're learning from others. 173 00:09:09,775 --> 00:09:11,011 They're learning how to take down prey. 174 00:09:11,178 --> 00:09:13,315 They're learning how to hunt. 175 00:09:13,315 --> 00:09:13,382 They're learning how to hunt. And so it's not surprising to see 176 00:09:13,382 --> 00:09:15,788 And so it's not surprising to see 177 00:09:15,821 --> 00:09:19,494 that the second man-eater started eating people as well. 178 00:09:19,628 --> 00:09:22,668 We probably were, um, an easy meal. 179 00:09:24,905 --> 00:09:28,079 We oftentimes will see an animal that has killed multiple humans 180 00:09:28,145 --> 00:09:30,717 and think, "Oh, wow, they're gunning for us." 181 00:09:30,784 --> 00:09:33,188 But we have to really remember and reframe it 182 00:09:33,222 --> 00:09:36,729 as these are animals that are doing just what they have to do 183 00:09:36,796 --> 00:09:40,203 to make it into the next week, the next year. 184 00:09:40,269 --> 00:09:43,309 Just like we would. It's kind of eat or be eaten. 185 00:09:44,143 --> 00:09:48,553 The story of the Tsavo man-eating lions 186 00:09:48,653 --> 00:09:51,693 is proof positive that some animals enjoy 187 00:09:51,826 --> 00:09:54,398 having humans on the menu, so to speak. 188 00:09:54,665 --> 00:09:57,738 But there's another creature who reportedly killed 189 00:09:57,804 --> 00:10:02,247 over a hundred people that is even more unsettling. 190 00:10:03,348 --> 00:10:06,354 A fearsome predator that roamed the French countryside 191 00:10:06,354 --> 00:10:06,455 A fearsome predator that roamed the French countryside and was known as the Beast of Gévaudan. 192 00:10:06,455 --> 00:10:09,862 and was known as the Beast of Gévaudan. 193 00:10:17,109 --> 00:10:20,249 SHATNER: On a warm summer morning in this farming region 194 00:10:20,249 --> 00:10:22,722 of south central France, 195 00:10:22,854 --> 00:10:25,561 14-year-old Jeanne Boulet leaves home 196 00:10:25,727 --> 00:10:27,463 to tend her flock of sheep. 197 00:10:29,835 --> 00:10:32,340 By sundown, she's dead. 198 00:10:34,277 --> 00:10:37,150 Murdered by a mysterious animal 199 00:10:37,250 --> 00:10:40,089 that reportedly mutilated her body, 200 00:10:40,089 --> 00:10:42,260 severed her head 201 00:10:42,260 --> 00:10:42,293 severed her head and ripped out her heart. 202 00:10:42,293 --> 00:10:44,531 and ripped out her heart. 203 00:10:45,399 --> 00:10:48,874 Jeanne Boulet was the first documented casualty 204 00:10:49,007 --> 00:10:51,880 of a monster that many people believed 205 00:10:51,979 --> 00:10:54,151 was roaming around south central France 206 00:10:54,284 --> 00:10:58,091 beginning in the late spring of 1764. 207 00:10:58,158 --> 00:11:01,633 By the end of September, another ten or so casualties, 208 00:11:01,799 --> 00:11:03,603 however, had appeared. 209 00:11:03,736 --> 00:11:05,874 GERHARD: Le Bête du Gévaudan, 210 00:11:06,007 --> 00:11:08,012 also known as the Beast of Gévaudan, 211 00:11:08,111 --> 00:11:10,083 was a mysterious wolflike creature 212 00:11:10,215 --> 00:11:13,088 which mounted a murderous rampage 213 00:11:13,188 --> 00:11:16,494 over a three-year span within the 18th century. 214 00:11:17,430 --> 00:11:20,236 The beast frequently attacked women and young children 215 00:11:20,302 --> 00:11:23,810 who had been assigned the task of herding sheep and cattle 216 00:11:23,943 --> 00:11:25,714 in remote mountainous meadows. 217 00:11:25,914 --> 00:11:27,217 And in many cases, 218 00:11:27,316 --> 00:11:29,288 they were rather defenseless and vulnerable. 219 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:30,891 (growling) 220 00:11:31,024 --> 00:11:34,699 SHATNER: Between 1764 and 1767, 221 00:11:34,832 --> 00:11:36,803 the so-called Beast of Gévaudan 222 00:11:36,902 --> 00:11:38,874 terrorized the Margeride mountain region 223 00:11:39,073 --> 00:11:41,077 of southern France. 224 00:11:42,313 --> 00:11:44,752 According to historical records, 225 00:11:44,852 --> 00:11:49,027 more than 100 people were brutally killed. 226 00:11:50,462 --> 00:11:52,433 SMITH: The Beast of the Gévaudan's ravages 227 00:11:52,433 --> 00:11:52,500 SMITH: The Beast of the Gévaudan's ravages did incite panic among the people. 228 00:11:52,500 --> 00:11:55,072 did incite panic among the people. 229 00:11:55,139 --> 00:11:58,045 And we know this largely from evidence from journalists 230 00:11:58,178 --> 00:11:59,849 and others who were commenting about 231 00:12:00,015 --> 00:12:01,819 the activities of the beast. 232 00:12:01,919 --> 00:12:05,827 By early 1765, newspapers all across France 233 00:12:05,927 --> 00:12:08,399 and, indeed, all across Europe and in America 234 00:12:08,498 --> 00:12:11,371 were reporting on the Beast of the Gévaudan-- 235 00:12:11,471 --> 00:12:14,278 his exploits, the various hunts for the beast, 236 00:12:14,377 --> 00:12:16,448 the various mysteries surrounding it-- 237 00:12:16,481 --> 00:12:20,256 which is why so many people were transfixed by this story. 238 00:12:21,358 --> 00:12:23,963 GERHARD: There were many attempts to hunt down the beast. 239 00:12:23,997 --> 00:12:26,936 People in the Gévaudan region typically did not own guns, 240 00:12:27,103 --> 00:12:29,041 but there were posses formed. 241 00:12:29,107 --> 00:12:31,111 Groups that would go out in the woods and literally 242 00:12:31,244 --> 00:12:33,950 beat the brush with pitchforks, sticks, 243 00:12:34,017 --> 00:12:36,488 knives, whatever types of weapons were available. 244 00:12:36,555 --> 00:12:39,527 However, the hunt for the beast really ramped up 245 00:12:39,527 --> 00:12:39,595 However, the hunt for the beast really ramped up when King Louis XV became involved. 246 00:12:39,595 --> 00:12:42,500 when King Louis XV became involved. 247 00:12:42,533 --> 00:12:46,241 He brought in a professional wolf hunter named d'Enneval, 248 00:12:46,341 --> 00:12:48,847 who allegedly killed over a hundred wolves, 249 00:12:48,980 --> 00:12:51,184 but the killing still did not end. 250 00:12:52,286 --> 00:12:55,761 SHATNER: According to multiple reports, the beast resembled a wolf 251 00:12:55,860 --> 00:12:59,334 but was unlike any canine that was known to man. 252 00:13:00,570 --> 00:13:04,043 GERHARD: Many of the local villagers noted as saying it resembles 253 00:13:04,110 --> 00:13:07,516 a very large wolf, but the Beast of Gévaudan attacked 254 00:13:07,551 --> 00:13:11,826 and killed people in a nature that was very unlike a wolf. 255 00:13:12,026 --> 00:13:13,428 (growling) 256 00:13:13,428 --> 00:13:13,462 (growling) The nature of these attacks, 257 00:13:13,462 --> 00:13:15,065 The nature of these attacks, 258 00:13:15,165 --> 00:13:16,569 -the way that this thing -(wolf howling) 259 00:13:16,569 --> 00:13:19,107 was decapitating people, 260 00:13:19,307 --> 00:13:21,311 disemboweling people, 261 00:13:21,411 --> 00:13:23,015 this was something completely different. 262 00:13:24,150 --> 00:13:27,591 SMITH: One of the reasons this becomes such a magnetic story 263 00:13:27,891 --> 00:13:30,731 is because there were always new strange stories 264 00:13:30,897 --> 00:13:32,300 about the beast's behavior, 265 00:13:32,433 --> 00:13:34,772 its appearance, its strange abilities. 266 00:13:35,874 --> 00:13:39,381 The peasants on the ground were describing it 267 00:13:39,447 --> 00:13:43,556 as having the ability to walk on its hind legs, 268 00:13:43,589 --> 00:13:49,200 glowing eyes, and having five or six talons rather than four. 269 00:13:50,202 --> 00:13:53,341 They didn't use the word "werewolf." 270 00:13:53,408 --> 00:13:56,649 They used descriptions of this creature that made it easy 271 00:13:56,916 --> 00:13:59,420 to believe that this could indeed be a werewolf. 272 00:14:01,324 --> 00:14:03,930 GERHARD: The Beast of Gévaudan is one of France's 273 00:14:04,063 --> 00:14:06,602 most enduring and popular mysteries. 274 00:14:06,602 --> 00:14:08,271 There are museums. 275 00:14:09,273 --> 00:14:11,078 There are statues. 276 00:14:11,211 --> 00:14:13,482 There are songs. There are stories. 277 00:14:13,616 --> 00:14:16,823 This was like a real-life nightmare. 278 00:14:16,956 --> 00:14:18,793 To this day, the Beast of Gévaudan 279 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,298 is celebrated in French culture, 280 00:14:21,364 --> 00:14:23,535 and it really has a profound effect on people. 281 00:14:24,638 --> 00:14:28,012 SHATNER: The descriptions of the beast were so terrifying 282 00:14:28,078 --> 00:14:30,349 that it's not surprising locals thought 283 00:14:30,482 --> 00:14:34,825 it was some kind of supernatural monster. 284 00:14:34,958 --> 00:14:37,798 But there were scientists at the time 285 00:14:37,964 --> 00:14:40,536 who proposed a different theory. 286 00:14:40,637 --> 00:14:43,275 SMITH: Among the many hypotheses that emerged 287 00:14:43,375 --> 00:14:45,848 was that the beast might be an African hyena. 288 00:14:45,980 --> 00:14:49,988 The hyena was this very mysterious creature 289 00:14:50,088 --> 00:14:52,928 that lots of naturalists and others wrote about 290 00:14:53,128 --> 00:14:56,001 in the 1750s and '60s. 291 00:14:56,134 --> 00:14:58,305 GERHARD: The general description of 292 00:14:58,405 --> 00:15:01,278 the Beast of Gévaudan was a wolflike creature 293 00:15:01,344 --> 00:15:05,519 but bigger, the size of a mule or a calf, perhaps. 294 00:15:05,519 --> 00:15:05,520 but bigger, the size of a mule or a calf, perhaps. It had a large head. 295 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:07,691 It had a large head. 296 00:15:07,958 --> 00:15:11,498 It had a long muzzle, lined with razor-sharp teeth. 297 00:15:11,531 --> 00:15:13,703 Pointy ears. 298 00:15:13,703 --> 00:15:13,804 Pointy ears. A long tail with a tuft of fur on the end. 299 00:15:13,804 --> 00:15:17,009 A long tail with a tuft of fur on the end. 300 00:15:17,978 --> 00:15:20,115 The coat of fur was typically described 301 00:15:20,182 --> 00:15:24,223 as a reddish brown or gray, with a black stripe 302 00:15:24,323 --> 00:15:27,196 running down the back, and a white breast. 303 00:15:28,064 --> 00:15:30,135 These are hyena-like characteristics. 304 00:15:32,707 --> 00:15:35,380 MAXEY: Back in the day, kings and even people of status 305 00:15:35,445 --> 00:15:38,152 had exotic pets, they had exotic zoos. 306 00:15:38,251 --> 00:15:40,690 Who's to say that a hyena didn't escape? 307 00:15:40,690 --> 00:15:40,757 Who's to say that a hyena didn't escape? If you take a look at the victims, 308 00:15:40,757 --> 00:15:43,328 If you take a look at the victims, 309 00:15:43,428 --> 00:15:47,737 their chest cavities torn apart, their limbs missing, 310 00:15:47,737 --> 00:15:47,771 their chest cavities torn apart, their limbs missing, their heads decapitated. 311 00:15:47,771 --> 00:15:50,176 their heads decapitated. 312 00:15:50,309 --> 00:15:53,783 This all resembles attacks of a hyena. 313 00:15:55,352 --> 00:15:58,693 SHATNER: Could the Beast of Gévaudan have been an escaped African hyena? 314 00:15:58,726 --> 00:16:00,797 Perhaps. 315 00:16:00,797 --> 00:16:00,864 Perhaps. But some researchers have suggested 316 00:16:00,864 --> 00:16:03,068 But some researchers have suggested 317 00:16:03,235 --> 00:16:05,774 a less exotic possibility. 318 00:16:06,074 --> 00:16:08,145 GERHARD: There are a number of arguments for 319 00:16:08,178 --> 00:16:11,284 the Beast of Gévaudan actually being a killer wolf. 320 00:16:12,453 --> 00:16:16,361 Wolves typically are very timid animals around humans. 321 00:16:16,461 --> 00:16:19,066 But there have been some 9,000 wolf attacks 322 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,606 in France over the centuries. 323 00:16:21,639 --> 00:16:25,145 And there was also a theory that the beast attacks may have 324 00:16:25,212 --> 00:16:28,853 been perpetrated by a wolf that had come down with rabies. 325 00:16:29,788 --> 00:16:32,493 SHATNER: According to experts, rabid wolves often lose 326 00:16:32,526 --> 00:16:36,902 their innate fear of humans, and walk with a strange gait. 327 00:16:37,771 --> 00:16:40,309 Which are behaviors described in the eyewitness accounts 328 00:16:40,475 --> 00:16:42,547 of the Beast of Gévaudan. 329 00:16:44,551 --> 00:16:48,158 But while the rabid wolf theory may make sense, 330 00:16:48,258 --> 00:16:50,363 the best clue scientists have today 331 00:16:50,529 --> 00:16:52,533 about the beast's identity 332 00:16:52,634 --> 00:16:56,240 was obtained on the day it was reportedly killed. 333 00:16:57,443 --> 00:16:59,480 The beast's reign of terror ended 334 00:16:59,480 --> 00:16:59,481 The beast's reign of terror ended on June 19, 1767, 335 00:16:59,481 --> 00:17:03,122 on June 19, 1767, 336 00:17:03,254 --> 00:17:05,660 when a local hunter named Jean Chastel 337 00:17:05,660 --> 00:17:07,797 felled the monster 338 00:17:07,797 --> 00:17:07,898 felled the monster with one shot of a silver bullet. 339 00:17:07,898 --> 00:17:10,102 with one shot of a silver bullet. 340 00:17:14,443 --> 00:17:16,682 After Chastel shot this strange creature, 341 00:17:16,782 --> 00:17:18,987 the killings actually stopped, so everyone was 342 00:17:19,253 --> 00:17:21,725 in agreement that-that he had actually killed the beast. 343 00:17:23,395 --> 00:17:26,501 A surgeon who conducted an autopsy determined 344 00:17:26,568 --> 00:17:30,009 that while it resembled a wolf, it was not a wolf. 345 00:17:30,142 --> 00:17:32,513 And in fact, it possessed 40 teeth 346 00:17:32,681 --> 00:17:35,219 compared to a wolf's 42 teeth, 347 00:17:35,385 --> 00:17:37,724 which is quite strange. 348 00:17:39,695 --> 00:17:42,199 The beast's remains were paraded around 349 00:17:42,299 --> 00:17:44,705 the Gévaudan region for weeks thereafter. 350 00:17:44,838 --> 00:17:46,675 And by the time the carcass was taken 351 00:17:46,775 --> 00:17:49,514 to the Palace of Versailles and presented 352 00:17:49,648 --> 00:17:52,754 to King Louis XV, it was so smelly 353 00:17:52,754 --> 00:17:52,788 to King Louis XV, it was so smelly that he immediately demanded 354 00:17:52,788 --> 00:17:54,424 that he immediately demanded 355 00:17:54,558 --> 00:17:56,160 that it be removed from the palace. 356 00:17:56,260 --> 00:17:58,164 And to this day, nobody knows what happened 357 00:17:58,298 --> 00:18:00,135 to those remains-- they vanished. 358 00:18:01,437 --> 00:18:03,508 Ultimately, while some people feel 359 00:18:03,541 --> 00:18:07,516 the Beast of Gévaudan may have been a supernatural phenomenon, 360 00:18:07,584 --> 00:18:11,759 the deaths, the occurrences documented, they're real. 361 00:18:11,859 --> 00:18:16,467 And the Beast of Gévaudan remains a great mystery. 362 00:18:17,871 --> 00:18:21,478 Was the Beast of Gévaudan a common wolf 363 00:18:21,612 --> 00:18:23,682 or something even more terrifying? 364 00:18:24,584 --> 00:18:27,658 Either way, this deadly creature drove fear 365 00:18:27,757 --> 00:18:29,995 into the hearts of people all over France. 366 00:18:30,262 --> 00:18:33,770 And that was also the case more than a century later, 367 00:18:33,836 --> 00:18:37,611 in the United States, when a wave of panic was caused 368 00:18:37,744 --> 00:18:41,785 by the attacks of a great white shark. 369 00:18:49,433 --> 00:18:51,839 SHATNER: 25-year-old Charles Vansant is swimming 370 00:18:51,839 --> 00:18:51,872 SHATNER: 25-year-old Charles Vansant is swimming in the brisk Atlantic waters 371 00:18:51,872 --> 00:18:53,743 in the brisk Atlantic waters 372 00:18:53,843 --> 00:18:56,081 off the coast of this resort community... 373 00:18:57,182 --> 00:19:00,055 ...when he's suddenly attacked by a massive shark. 374 00:19:00,255 --> 00:19:02,695 (screaming) 375 00:19:02,794 --> 00:19:05,432 Lifeguards pull Vansant from the water 376 00:19:05,499 --> 00:19:08,639 and see that his left thigh has been stripped of its flesh 377 00:19:08,773 --> 00:19:12,312 by a massive set of razor-sharp jaws. 378 00:19:12,981 --> 00:19:14,652 CAPUZZO: The story is that they had to 379 00:19:14,751 --> 00:19:16,589 almost wrestle him away from the shark. 380 00:19:16,622 --> 00:19:19,360 As they pulled him ashore with the shark following him still, 381 00:19:19,427 --> 00:19:21,164 his father, who was a doctor, operated on him 382 00:19:21,330 --> 00:19:22,668 or tried to save his life, 383 00:19:22,767 --> 00:19:24,738 but he died of... of a flesh wound to... 384 00:19:24,838 --> 00:19:27,343 a bite on his... his thigh, actually, 385 00:19:27,509 --> 00:19:29,714 and, uh, loss of blood. 386 00:19:31,517 --> 00:19:33,656 SHATNER: The gory death of Charles Vansant was 387 00:19:33,722 --> 00:19:37,797 the first recorded fatal shark attack in U.S. history. 388 00:19:38,799 --> 00:19:41,606 And then on July 6th, 389 00:19:41,705 --> 00:19:44,978 a mere five days after Vansant was killed, 390 00:19:45,278 --> 00:19:48,687 there was another attack along the Jersey Shore. 391 00:19:48,819 --> 00:19:52,760 Charles Bruder, who was a 27-year-old 392 00:19:52,894 --> 00:19:54,831 Swiss native who was in the army, 393 00:19:54,831 --> 00:19:56,568 went for a swim, 394 00:19:56,668 --> 00:19:59,106 and 1,200 feet out, in the middle of the day, 395 00:19:59,273 --> 00:20:01,378 was attacked and bitten 396 00:20:01,477 --> 00:20:02,947 by what appeared to be about an eight- 397 00:20:02,947 --> 00:20:02,981 by what appeared to be about an eight- or nine-foot great white shark 398 00:20:02,981 --> 00:20:04,851 or nine-foot great white shark 399 00:20:04,951 --> 00:20:07,657 that severed his legs and a part of his torso. 400 00:20:07,757 --> 00:20:10,731 By the time the lifeguards got out there, 401 00:20:10,830 --> 00:20:12,967 there was hardly anything to lift into the boat. 402 00:20:14,036 --> 00:20:18,411 SHATNER: This second deadly attack was widely reported in newspapers 403 00:20:18,478 --> 00:20:22,519 across the country, and set off a nationwide panic. 404 00:20:22,620 --> 00:20:25,693 Many people believed it was no longer safe 405 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,566 to swim in the ocean off the coast of New Jersey. 406 00:20:28,632 --> 00:20:32,339 And several beaches were closed by the authorities. 407 00:20:32,472 --> 00:20:34,978 The public reaction was hysterical. 408 00:20:35,045 --> 00:20:37,718 There were calls all the way up to President Wilson. 409 00:20:37,851 --> 00:20:40,422 Woodrow Wilson had a cabinet meeting 410 00:20:40,455 --> 00:20:43,495 and talked to the early men who founded the Coast Guard 411 00:20:43,596 --> 00:20:45,734 about eradicating all the sharks on the East Coast. 412 00:20:45,833 --> 00:20:48,939 Bounties were given by towns and cities, 413 00:20:49,006 --> 00:20:53,549 and anybody that could kill any shark could get $100. 414 00:20:53,616 --> 00:20:57,557 You had fishermen going out, catching and killing sharks. 415 00:20:57,690 --> 00:20:59,995 And it wasn't just in New Jersey. 416 00:21:00,095 --> 00:21:02,634 It was all up and down the Eastern Seaboard 417 00:21:02,734 --> 00:21:06,875 and even infiltrated into the coastal states, 418 00:21:06,875 --> 00:21:06,876 and even infiltrated into the coastal states, Texas, Louisiana, 419 00:21:06,876 --> 00:21:09,013 Texas, Louisiana, 420 00:21:09,046 --> 00:21:13,421 and as far as the Pacific coast of North America. 421 00:21:14,456 --> 00:21:16,595 SHATNER: Less than one week after Charles Bruder 422 00:21:16,762 --> 00:21:18,733 was killed, on July 12th, 423 00:21:18,766 --> 00:21:23,375 three more people were attacked by what many witnesses claimed 424 00:21:23,508 --> 00:21:25,914 was an eight- or nine-foot shark. 425 00:21:25,980 --> 00:21:29,420 Curiously, all five of these incidents took place 426 00:21:29,486 --> 00:21:32,961 along a 50-mile stretch off the coast of New Jersey. 427 00:21:33,061 --> 00:21:35,633 Because of their proximity and the similarities 428 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,004 between eyewitness accounts, 429 00:21:38,071 --> 00:21:41,110 many began to wonder whether the horrific attacks 430 00:21:41,410 --> 00:21:46,421 could have been the work of a single killer shark. 431 00:21:46,487 --> 00:21:48,893 CAPUZZO: The New Jersey attacks are so strange, 432 00:21:48,926 --> 00:21:52,032 'cause sharks don't kill people with any kind of regularity 433 00:21:52,032 --> 00:21:52,065 'cause sharks don't kill people with any kind of regularity and nobody witnesses it 434 00:21:52,065 --> 00:21:53,770 and nobody witnesses it 435 00:21:53,869 --> 00:21:55,773 with any kind of regularity when it happens. 436 00:21:55,940 --> 00:21:57,777 But the concept of a rogue shark 437 00:21:57,911 --> 00:21:59,715 that kills or injuries one person 438 00:21:59,814 --> 00:22:02,053 and that gets a taste for human flesh 439 00:22:02,152 --> 00:22:04,791 and goes after another like a serial killer, 440 00:22:04,891 --> 00:22:06,494 the Jersey Shore may be the best evidence 441 00:22:06,628 --> 00:22:08,332 we have that that's ever happened. 442 00:22:08,498 --> 00:22:10,837 SHATNER: On July 14, 1916, 443 00:22:10,937 --> 00:22:13,843 two weeks after the first fatal attack, 444 00:22:13,943 --> 00:22:16,815 a taxidermist named Michael Schleisser caught 445 00:22:16,882 --> 00:22:20,990 a seven-and-a-half-foot, 325-pound great white shark 446 00:22:21,090 --> 00:22:24,865 off the northern end of the Jersey Shore. 447 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,573 After cutting open its stomach, authorities found what appeared 448 00:22:28,706 --> 00:22:32,045 to be partially digested human remains. 449 00:22:33,448 --> 00:22:37,490 There are many who believe that this great white shark was 450 00:22:37,557 --> 00:22:40,630 responsible for all five attacks that took place, 451 00:22:40,796 --> 00:22:43,335 four of which were fatal. 452 00:22:43,434 --> 00:22:46,341 Fatal shark attacks on humans are seldom 453 00:22:46,507 --> 00:22:48,478 predatory for feeding. 454 00:22:48,545 --> 00:22:51,485 So what was going on that would cause a series 455 00:22:51,585 --> 00:22:55,560 of five attacks over a 11-day period, 456 00:22:55,726 --> 00:22:57,563 what was behind all of this? 457 00:22:58,565 --> 00:23:00,402 People panicked. 458 00:23:00,535 --> 00:23:03,074 No one wanted to go in the ocean. 459 00:23:03,141 --> 00:23:07,584 So its effect on individuals, citizens, was enormous. 460 00:23:08,518 --> 00:23:11,157 And it was something that, to this day, 461 00:23:11,157 --> 00:23:11,191 And it was something that, to this day, still has an effect on us. 462 00:23:11,191 --> 00:23:13,730 still has an effect on us. 463 00:23:14,831 --> 00:23:17,770 SHATNER: The 1916 Jersey Shore attacks helped to popularize 464 00:23:17,870 --> 00:23:21,778 the notion of sharks as deadly man-eaters. 465 00:23:22,613 --> 00:23:24,752 More than 50 years later, the killings inspired 466 00:23:24,884 --> 00:23:27,924 the 1974 novel Jaws by Peter Benchley, 467 00:23:28,024 --> 00:23:30,630 which became the basis of the blockbuster film 468 00:23:30,763 --> 00:23:33,302 made by Steven Spielberg that terrorized 469 00:23:33,468 --> 00:23:36,007 generations of beachgoers. 470 00:23:37,509 --> 00:23:40,416 But despite their bad reputation, 471 00:23:40,515 --> 00:23:44,356 the truth is that sharks rarely kill humans. 472 00:23:44,523 --> 00:23:46,662 According to statistics gathered 473 00:23:46,795 --> 00:23:48,699 by the International Shark Attack File, 474 00:23:48,766 --> 00:23:52,540 on average, there are only five fatal shark attacks 475 00:23:52,707 --> 00:23:54,711 worldwide per year. 476 00:23:55,579 --> 00:23:57,951 So why does the belief persist that 477 00:23:58,051 --> 00:24:01,558 some sharks are a serious threat to humans? 478 00:24:03,662 --> 00:24:06,368 Over the years, sharks, especially white sharks, 479 00:24:06,534 --> 00:24:08,238 have been portrayed as killers. 480 00:24:08,504 --> 00:24:11,477 Unfortunately, people are killed from time to time. 481 00:24:11,678 --> 00:24:13,716 It has been postulated 482 00:24:13,849 --> 00:24:16,153 that white sharks' hunting has 483 00:24:16,220 --> 00:24:20,496 similarities into the tactics utilized by serial killers. 484 00:24:21,698 --> 00:24:25,271 Serial killers use what is referred to as an anchor point, 485 00:24:25,271 --> 00:24:25,372 Serial killers use what is referred to as an anchor point, which is where they will sit and watch 486 00:24:25,372 --> 00:24:28,378 which is where they will sit and watch 487 00:24:28,545 --> 00:24:30,683 and pick their victim. 488 00:24:30,816 --> 00:24:32,754 White sharks do the same thing. 489 00:24:32,887 --> 00:24:35,827 White sharks like to hunt stealth, 490 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,932 where the intended victim can't see them. 491 00:24:40,770 --> 00:24:42,874 MAXEY: A lot of people often look at sharks and think 492 00:24:43,007 --> 00:24:44,844 that there's nothing going on. 493 00:24:44,978 --> 00:24:47,584 But great whites are intelligent animals. 494 00:24:47,683 --> 00:24:49,988 We've watched great whites attack seals. 495 00:24:50,054 --> 00:24:53,962 And you'll find the older great whites will pick out 496 00:24:54,062 --> 00:24:56,701 specific individuals, usually young ones. 497 00:24:58,004 --> 00:24:59,741 It's very methodical. 498 00:24:59,908 --> 00:25:03,181 So it is 100% possible 499 00:25:03,247 --> 00:25:06,020 that some sharks like the taste of people. 500 00:25:07,122 --> 00:25:09,961 SHATNER: Are there certain sharks that specifically 501 00:25:10,128 --> 00:25:13,168 and methodically hunt people? 502 00:25:13,234 --> 00:25:17,109 Some marine biologists have suggested it's possible. 503 00:25:17,142 --> 00:25:20,883 But if this theory is true, then what's even more disturbing 504 00:25:20,983 --> 00:25:24,658 is that a killer shark may keep stalking people 505 00:25:24,824 --> 00:25:27,964 for a very long, long time. 506 00:25:28,999 --> 00:25:32,072 Great whites can live to be 80-plus years old. 507 00:25:32,139 --> 00:25:35,045 There are some accounts of specimens being over 100. 508 00:25:35,946 --> 00:25:38,886 They study their subjects just like a serial killer. 509 00:25:38,919 --> 00:25:42,159 They learn from their mistakes just like a serial killer. 510 00:25:42,159 --> 00:25:44,731 That's terrifying. 511 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,939 Is it possible that some sharks 512 00:25:49,072 --> 00:25:51,912 methodically stalk human beings? 513 00:25:51,945 --> 00:25:53,682 Perhaps. 514 00:25:53,782 --> 00:25:55,686 But there is one man-eating creature 515 00:25:55,853 --> 00:25:57,724 that we know has definitely 516 00:25:57,857 --> 00:26:00,797 been targeting humans for decades. 517 00:26:00,963 --> 00:26:03,636 A massive crocodile 518 00:26:03,802 --> 00:26:05,606 that doesn't eat its victims 519 00:26:05,739 --> 00:26:08,311 but rather appears to kill people 520 00:26:08,311 --> 00:26:08,345 but rather appears to kill people just for the thrill of it. 521 00:26:08,345 --> 00:26:10,816 just for the thrill of it. 522 00:26:16,661 --> 00:26:19,233 SHATNER: February 19, 1945. 523 00:26:20,068 --> 00:26:22,472 On this 500-square-mile island, 524 00:26:22,740 --> 00:26:26,615 Allied British forces drive 1,000 Japanese soldiers 525 00:26:26,681 --> 00:26:31,056 deep into the murky waters of a ten-mile swamp. 526 00:26:32,660 --> 00:26:35,432 But as night falls, the Japanese soon realize 527 00:26:35,699 --> 00:26:39,273 that they're being hunted by a very different kind of enemy, 528 00:26:39,273 --> 00:26:39,339 that they're being hunted by a very different kind of enemy, as one by one, they're killed 529 00:26:39,339 --> 00:26:42,546 as one by one, they're killed 530 00:26:42,647 --> 00:26:45,786 by a group of massive crocodiles. 531 00:26:47,990 --> 00:26:51,898 These crocodiles were giant-- 15, 16 feet long-- 532 00:26:51,998 --> 00:26:55,271 and they went on a killing rampage. 533 00:26:57,209 --> 00:27:01,317 There were accounts of bloodcurdling screams 534 00:27:01,317 --> 00:27:01,384 There were accounts of bloodcurdling screams from men trying to save other men 535 00:27:01,384 --> 00:27:04,256 from men trying to save other men 536 00:27:04,389 --> 00:27:07,630 from the jaws of hungry crocodiles. 537 00:27:07,730 --> 00:27:10,636 During the night, those crocodiles killed 538 00:27:10,836 --> 00:27:13,742 over 500 people. 539 00:27:15,078 --> 00:27:19,319 LESLIE: It's the classic example of a crocodile feeding frenzy. 540 00:27:20,188 --> 00:27:22,293 The men who were forced into the swamp 541 00:27:22,392 --> 00:27:25,398 had wounds, they were bleeding anyway. 542 00:27:25,398 --> 00:27:25,465 had wounds, they were bleeding anyway. That's a sure sign for a crocodile 543 00:27:25,465 --> 00:27:27,102 That's a sure sign for a crocodile 544 00:27:27,202 --> 00:27:29,006 to start attacking, the smell of blood. 545 00:27:30,008 --> 00:27:33,147 It must have been something unbelievable to go through. 546 00:27:33,281 --> 00:27:35,218 REAGAN: I think the situation was 547 00:27:35,285 --> 00:27:38,458 an encroachment of the humans into the crocodiles' territory. 548 00:27:38,725 --> 00:27:42,132 And the crocodiles were just seizing an opportunity. 549 00:27:42,299 --> 00:27:44,136 It's like getting a free meal. 550 00:27:44,303 --> 00:27:46,474 You're not gonna turn it down. 551 00:27:46,741 --> 00:27:49,046 SHATNER: By morning, less than half of the 1,000 552 00:27:49,046 --> 00:27:53,287 Japanese soldiers who entered the swamp came out alive. 553 00:27:53,421 --> 00:27:55,458 Because of the incredible death toll, 554 00:27:55,458 --> 00:27:55,525 Because of the incredible death toll, the incident at Ramree Island 555 00:27:55,525 --> 00:27:57,296 the incident at Ramree Island 556 00:27:57,429 --> 00:27:59,668 is considered by some to be the worst 557 00:27:59,801 --> 00:28:03,175 crocodile attack ever recorded. 558 00:28:03,307 --> 00:28:07,717 It's also a grim reminder that crocodiles 559 00:28:07,850 --> 00:28:10,623 are one of the deadliest and oldest 560 00:28:10,789 --> 00:28:13,027 species on the planet. 561 00:28:13,060 --> 00:28:17,469 Crocodiles have been around for over 240 million years. 562 00:28:19,072 --> 00:28:22,747 Way before birds, mammals and modern-day reptiles. 563 00:28:22,813 --> 00:28:26,120 Crocodiles appeared 25 million years 564 00:28:26,186 --> 00:28:29,126 before the dinosaurs and are their closest living relatives. 565 00:28:29,192 --> 00:28:33,134 They share a lot of the same features as dinosaurs, 566 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:37,176 including hip-like arrangements that you can see in birds, 567 00:28:37,342 --> 00:28:39,379 and they have teeth in sockets, 568 00:28:39,479 --> 00:28:43,020 unlike teeth that are fused to the jawbone. 569 00:28:44,857 --> 00:28:47,831 Since the very beginning of our evolution, 570 00:28:47,963 --> 00:28:50,101 we have lived alongside crocodiles 571 00:28:50,201 --> 00:28:52,573 and have been eaten by crocodiles throughout. 572 00:28:53,507 --> 00:28:57,048 They're known for their strength or their ferocity. 573 00:28:58,284 --> 00:29:01,523 And we're really a snack to some of the larger crocodiles. 574 00:29:03,194 --> 00:29:04,998 SHATNER: East Africa. 575 00:29:05,098 --> 00:29:08,705 At 410 miles long and nearly 5,000 feet deep, 576 00:29:08,972 --> 00:29:13,215 Lake Tanganyika on the border of Tanzania and the Congo is 577 00:29:13,247 --> 00:29:16,622 the longest and second deepest freshwater lake in the world. 578 00:29:17,522 --> 00:29:19,995 Thousands of people rely on it to survive, 579 00:29:20,128 --> 00:29:23,401 even though they are aware of a terror 580 00:29:23,401 --> 00:29:23,434 even though they are aware of a terror lurking beneath its surface. 581 00:29:23,434 --> 00:29:26,107 lurking beneath its surface. 582 00:29:27,275 --> 00:29:32,953 A massive crocodile that the locals have nicknamed Gustave. 583 00:29:33,020 --> 00:29:36,862 MAXEY: Gustave is an infamous Nile crocodile. 584 00:29:36,995 --> 00:29:39,099 He's supposedly over 18 feet 585 00:29:39,266 --> 00:29:42,272 and weighs over 2,000 pounds. 586 00:29:42,405 --> 00:29:43,943 And experts also believe he's anywhere 587 00:29:44,142 --> 00:29:46,848 from 80 to 90 years old. 588 00:29:47,015 --> 00:29:49,854 He is a prolific man-eater. 589 00:29:51,056 --> 00:29:53,194 These victims were women, 590 00:29:53,327 --> 00:29:55,498 were children, were fishermen. 591 00:29:57,168 --> 00:29:59,273 LESLIE: Gustave is a killing machine. 592 00:29:59,372 --> 00:30:02,346 Accounts of people being taken by Gustave 593 00:30:02,445 --> 00:30:04,684 are pretty rife out there in the villages. 594 00:30:04,951 --> 00:30:07,389 The locals want him dead because they believed he was 595 00:30:07,489 --> 00:30:10,128 the monster crocodile that was habituating 596 00:30:10,294 --> 00:30:12,032 that lower section of river 597 00:30:12,132 --> 00:30:14,069 and was responsible for all those deaths. 598 00:30:14,169 --> 00:30:17,042 He's definitely been shot at a couple of times. 599 00:30:17,108 --> 00:30:18,846 There's a scar on his head, and there's another one 600 00:30:19,045 --> 00:30:20,315 between his shoulders. 601 00:30:20,415 --> 00:30:22,352 But what also made killing him difficult 602 00:30:22,419 --> 00:30:25,458 is that Gustave often disappeared for months on end. 603 00:30:25,525 --> 00:30:28,531 At one point in time, nobody saw him for 18 months. 604 00:30:28,598 --> 00:30:32,305 SHATNER: So far, no one has been able to capture 605 00:30:32,472 --> 00:30:35,579 or kill this deadly crocodile. 606 00:30:35,679 --> 00:30:38,351 It is estimated that Gustave is responsible 607 00:30:38,417 --> 00:30:43,461 for killing at least 300 people between 1987 and 2015. 608 00:30:43,595 --> 00:30:46,835 But, curiously, it seems that Gustave 609 00:30:46,968 --> 00:30:50,242 doesn't always eat his victims. 610 00:30:50,341 --> 00:30:53,916 According to the locals, he may hunt humans 611 00:30:54,082 --> 00:30:57,055 simply because he enjoys it. 612 00:30:57,155 --> 00:31:00,094 Gustave has claimed many, many victims. 613 00:31:00,194 --> 00:31:03,100 More than any other crocodile in history. 614 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,405 If you look at the sheer number of people 615 00:31:05,471 --> 00:31:08,011 that Gustave has killed, and the fact that he doesn't 616 00:31:08,110 --> 00:31:11,150 always eat his victims, it's puzzling. 617 00:31:11,250 --> 00:31:13,454 It's almost as if he's doing it for sport. 618 00:31:14,489 --> 00:31:16,628 LESLIE: Most villagers think that Gustave picks on 619 00:31:16,628 --> 00:31:16,661 LESLIE: Most villagers think that Gustave picks on human beings in particular. 620 00:31:16,661 --> 00:31:18,164 human beings in particular. 621 00:31:18,364 --> 00:31:19,835 There's rumors about how 622 00:31:19,967 --> 00:31:22,573 he follows and he stalks his-his prey. 623 00:31:22,573 --> 00:31:22,574 he follows and he stalks his-his prey. He watches you. 624 00:31:22,574 --> 00:31:25,111 He watches you. 625 00:31:25,211 --> 00:31:28,117 He has a memory-- he knows who's where, 626 00:31:28,250 --> 00:31:30,054 he knows where the boat ramps are. 627 00:31:30,121 --> 00:31:32,994 We don't hear about many serial man-eating crocodiles, 628 00:31:33,127 --> 00:31:34,864 so from a scientific point of view, 629 00:31:34,997 --> 00:31:37,468 it's also a bit of an enigma. 630 00:31:38,738 --> 00:31:42,580 SHATNER: The last known sighting of Gustave was in 2015, 631 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,385 but the fear that he will reemerge from the waters 632 00:31:45,418 --> 00:31:49,994 of Lake Tanganyika has kept authorities on constant alert, 633 00:31:50,127 --> 00:31:52,532 in the hope that they can capture Gustave 634 00:31:52,532 --> 00:31:52,567 in the hope that they can capture Gustave before he kills again. 635 00:31:52,567 --> 00:31:56,240 before he kills again. 636 00:31:57,275 --> 00:32:00,415 LESLIE: None of us know if Gustave is actually still alive. 637 00:32:00,481 --> 00:32:04,089 He's so famous that if he had died or been killed, 638 00:32:04,155 --> 00:32:07,262 somebody would have had that skin or had that skeleton 639 00:32:07,395 --> 00:32:09,466 or taken some photos or something. 640 00:32:09,533 --> 00:32:13,441 So I wouldn't be surprised if he's still out there. 641 00:32:13,575 --> 00:32:17,215 The idea that a 2,000-pound crocodile 642 00:32:17,382 --> 00:32:19,353 enjoys attacking humans 643 00:32:19,486 --> 00:32:21,490 is frightening, to say the least. 644 00:32:21,558 --> 00:32:25,198 But in Russia, many believe it was a darker motivation 645 00:32:25,264 --> 00:32:28,605 that caused a fearsome tiger to take a human life. 646 00:32:28,705 --> 00:32:31,845 Because this predator may have killed its victim 647 00:32:32,045 --> 00:32:34,684 as an act of revenge. 648 00:32:42,265 --> 00:32:45,438 SHATNER: In the cold, unforgiving forests of eastern Siberia, 649 00:32:45,538 --> 00:32:48,510 a local hunter named Vladimir Markov discovers 650 00:32:48,645 --> 00:32:50,314 the bloody carcass of a wild boar 651 00:32:50,448 --> 00:32:52,553 lying half-eaten in the snow. 652 00:32:53,588 --> 00:32:56,695 He instantly realizes he's in great danger, 653 00:32:56,761 --> 00:32:59,499 because he has just stumbled upon a fresh kill 654 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,073 made by one of Russia's most dangerous predators. 655 00:33:04,075 --> 00:33:06,581 The Siberian tiger. 656 00:33:06,614 --> 00:33:09,419 McCANN: At the point where Vladimir Markov realized 657 00:33:09,486 --> 00:33:12,458 that he was coming upon a tiger's kill, he knew that 658 00:33:12,492 --> 00:33:14,697 the tiger will still be there, because it'll still feed 659 00:33:14,764 --> 00:33:17,068 upon that kill until there's nothing left to feed on. 660 00:33:17,168 --> 00:33:19,774 So if he doesn't shoot that tiger first, 661 00:33:19,774 --> 00:33:21,611 the tiger will kill him. 662 00:33:21,678 --> 00:33:24,684 So it was a case for him of "kill or be killed." 663 00:33:25,619 --> 00:33:28,157 SHATNER: As the tiger approached Markov to defend its kill, 664 00:33:28,290 --> 00:33:30,362 -he fired his rifle. -(gunshot) 665 00:33:30,494 --> 00:33:32,800 But only wounded the angry cat. 666 00:33:33,067 --> 00:33:36,039 Injured, the tiger retreated back into the forest. 667 00:33:36,139 --> 00:33:40,382 But that's not the end of the story. 668 00:33:41,383 --> 00:33:43,655 Because two days later, the local authorities were informed 669 00:33:43,755 --> 00:33:46,360 that Markov had been attacked and killed 670 00:33:46,526 --> 00:33:49,399 at his home by a vicious tiger. 671 00:33:50,334 --> 00:33:53,374 When investigators arrived at Markov's log cabin, 672 00:33:53,540 --> 00:33:57,348 they found a disturbing scene. 673 00:33:58,384 --> 00:33:59,654 (man speaking Russian) 674 00:33:59,754 --> 00:34:02,158 It's pretty remarkable seeing the images. 675 00:34:02,258 --> 00:34:05,364 There was obviously quite a lot of blood. 676 00:34:05,498 --> 00:34:07,670 The clothes are tattered everywhere. 677 00:34:08,672 --> 00:34:12,780 Often, when tigers kill people, it's not necessarily for food. 678 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,953 But in Markov's case, the tiger ate everything 679 00:34:16,119 --> 00:34:17,422 it possibly could of him. 680 00:34:17,556 --> 00:34:19,661 It wanted to leave no trace of the man. 681 00:34:19,727 --> 00:34:23,067 The strangest part of the Vladimir Markov story 682 00:34:23,167 --> 00:34:25,906 is the fact that the tiger actively destroyed 683 00:34:26,173 --> 00:34:29,379 everything around that lodge that had Vladimir's scent on it. 684 00:34:29,412 --> 00:34:33,521 Just destroyed it in seemingly a fit of anger. 685 00:34:34,724 --> 00:34:37,529 SHATNER: But even more unsettling than the gruesome killing itself 686 00:34:37,629 --> 00:34:40,569 was the fact that investigators later determined 687 00:34:40,669 --> 00:34:43,074 that Markov was eaten by the same tiger 688 00:34:43,240 --> 00:34:46,213 he had shot with his rifle. 689 00:34:48,250 --> 00:34:50,488 McCANN: The tiger tracked Vladimir back to his hunting lodge, 690 00:34:50,655 --> 00:34:53,862 a distance of 11 kilometers. 691 00:34:53,862 --> 00:34:53,896 a distance of 11 kilometers. And then it waited. 692 00:34:53,896 --> 00:34:55,866 And then it waited. 693 00:34:55,866 --> 00:34:55,933 And then it waited. That is what is remarkable. 694 00:34:55,933 --> 00:34:57,269 That is what is remarkable. 695 00:34:57,468 --> 00:34:59,641 It waited, we think, 696 00:34:59,740 --> 00:35:02,579 around 48 hours for him to return to that lodge. 697 00:35:02,746 --> 00:35:05,719 And then when Vladimir returned, 698 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:07,790 it killed him. 699 00:35:08,925 --> 00:35:12,031 SHATNER: The story of Vladimir Markov's death at the hands 700 00:35:12,165 --> 00:35:14,169 of a deadly tiger is frightening, 701 00:35:14,335 --> 00:35:17,509 but it's also mysterious. 702 00:35:17,576 --> 00:35:20,115 Because while animals will naturally defend themselves 703 00:35:20,214 --> 00:35:24,322 when attacked, this tiger tracked Markov down 704 00:35:24,489 --> 00:35:26,794 over an unusually long distance. 705 00:35:27,730 --> 00:35:29,800 But why? 706 00:35:29,900 --> 00:35:32,673 Big predators will kill smaller predators 707 00:35:32,740 --> 00:35:35,579 with which they compete, and there's a long history 708 00:35:35,679 --> 00:35:37,817 of human competition with predators. 709 00:35:38,718 --> 00:35:40,923 So it's possible the tiger was viewing this 710 00:35:41,189 --> 00:35:43,360 as competition, and I want to get rid of a competitor 711 00:35:43,460 --> 00:35:45,799 because this is a threat to my livelihood. 712 00:35:45,799 --> 00:35:45,866 because this is a threat to my livelihood. So don't steal food from tigers, 713 00:35:45,866 --> 00:35:48,705 So don't steal food from tigers, 714 00:35:48,772 --> 00:35:51,744 is the lesson that stands out from Markov's story. 715 00:35:52,813 --> 00:35:55,552 SHATNER: Did the tiger kill Markov because it viewed him 716 00:35:55,652 --> 00:35:58,659 as a threat to its survival? Perhaps. 717 00:35:58,725 --> 00:36:01,831 But there are those who believe that it was motivated 718 00:36:01,831 --> 00:36:01,865 But there are those who believe that it was motivated not by self-preservation 719 00:36:01,865 --> 00:36:04,671 not by self-preservation 720 00:36:04,770 --> 00:36:08,544 but rather by a desire to exact revenge. 721 00:36:09,379 --> 00:36:11,884 MAXEY: You can't look at this story of Vladimir 722 00:36:11,951 --> 00:36:14,590 and not think that this is a story of vengeance. 723 00:36:14,723 --> 00:36:17,796 The tiger stalked Vladimir's cabin. 724 00:36:17,863 --> 00:36:22,272 It waited for Vladimir to return home for the attack. 725 00:36:22,405 --> 00:36:24,710 Everything here points to premeditation. 726 00:36:26,614 --> 00:36:29,687 You look at other instances, you see attacks 727 00:36:29,820 --> 00:36:31,791 with tigers who will seek vengeance 728 00:36:31,791 --> 00:36:31,825 with tigers who will seek vengeance on people they don't like. 729 00:36:31,825 --> 00:36:33,562 on people they don't like. 730 00:36:33,695 --> 00:36:36,299 These animals can feel these emotions. 731 00:36:37,435 --> 00:36:40,174 BLUMSTEIN: All animals have neurochemical responses 732 00:36:40,441 --> 00:36:43,781 which are remarkably similar across all sorts of species. 733 00:36:43,815 --> 00:36:48,925 They feel emotions or feelings that influence behavior 734 00:36:48,925 --> 00:36:48,959 They feel emotions or feelings that influence behavior exactly the same as we do. 735 00:36:48,959 --> 00:36:50,762 exactly the same as we do. 736 00:36:51,731 --> 00:36:54,169 McCANN: You do not mess with a tiger. 737 00:36:54,269 --> 00:36:57,342 If you do that, it's gonna come after you. 738 00:36:57,408 --> 00:37:00,649 Markov will have known that when he shot that tiger 739 00:37:00,715 --> 00:37:04,456 and it didn't die, he knew that his time was up. 740 00:37:04,557 --> 00:37:07,896 This tiger had the ability to hold a grudge 741 00:37:07,896 --> 00:37:07,930 This tiger had the ability to hold a grudge with a single individual 742 00:37:07,930 --> 00:37:10,235 with a single individual 743 00:37:10,334 --> 00:37:12,974 for over 48 hours and then take its revenge. 744 00:37:13,875 --> 00:37:16,748 We have taken dominion over nature in many ways 745 00:37:16,848 --> 00:37:20,154 because of our technological developments, 746 00:37:20,287 --> 00:37:22,325 but we are still a part of nature, 747 00:37:22,458 --> 00:37:25,365 and we are still occasionally on the menu 748 00:37:25,464 --> 00:37:27,870 of bigger and stronger animals, such as tigers. 749 00:37:29,038 --> 00:37:31,944 It's chilling to think that a tiger could actually 750 00:37:32,011 --> 00:37:36,654 have a vendetta, a score to settle, with human beings. 751 00:37:36,754 --> 00:37:40,027 But not all animals see humans as adversaries. 752 00:37:40,027 --> 00:37:40,094 But not all animals see humans as adversaries. For example, there's a region in India 753 00:37:40,094 --> 00:37:43,200 For example, there's a region in India 754 00:37:43,333 --> 00:37:46,240 where people and man-eating lions 755 00:37:46,406 --> 00:37:49,045 have joined forces. 756 00:37:56,026 --> 00:37:59,801 SHATNER: These lush woodlands are home to the Asiatic lion, 757 00:37:59,900 --> 00:38:02,005 one of the rarest predators on Earth. 758 00:38:02,973 --> 00:38:05,779 Though less than 700 of these majestic cats 759 00:38:05,879 --> 00:38:08,585 remain in the wild, they often cross paths 760 00:38:08,651 --> 00:38:12,425 with the local residents, whose farms border the forest. 761 00:38:13,493 --> 00:38:15,966 But, curiously, instead of coming into conflict 762 00:38:15,966 --> 00:38:16,033 But, curiously, instead of coming into conflict with these dangerous predators, 763 00:38:16,033 --> 00:38:18,037 with these dangerous predators, 764 00:38:18,070 --> 00:38:22,445 the farmers appear to have formed an alliance with them. 765 00:38:23,648 --> 00:38:25,652 MAXEY: There is an overabundance of deer 766 00:38:25,752 --> 00:38:27,690 in India, and the deer at night will come 767 00:38:27,856 --> 00:38:29,960 and eat the farmers' crops. 768 00:38:31,396 --> 00:38:35,639 So the farmers have teamed up with the local Asiatic lions. 769 00:38:35,672 --> 00:38:40,314 The farmers, trying to scare the deer off, make a noise. 770 00:38:40,514 --> 00:38:42,719 (farmer calling) 771 00:38:44,155 --> 00:38:46,526 And the lions quickly have learned 772 00:38:46,594 --> 00:38:49,767 that that noise means that deer are in the area. 773 00:38:52,572 --> 00:38:54,977 So the lions end up killing the deer. 774 00:38:58,083 --> 00:39:01,992 This is something that has never really been documented 775 00:39:02,091 --> 00:39:06,133 where lions and humans are working together. 776 00:39:07,168 --> 00:39:09,841 SHATNER: Asiatic lions are notorious man-eaters 777 00:39:09,974 --> 00:39:12,345 and have even been known to drag people 778 00:39:12,478 --> 00:39:14,684 from their homes and kill them. 779 00:39:15,585 --> 00:39:19,292 So how is this mutually beneficial arrangement 780 00:39:19,459 --> 00:39:21,330 between man and lion possible? 781 00:39:22,198 --> 00:39:26,072 Well, as it turns out, these lions behave 782 00:39:26,139 --> 00:39:30,214 the same way any household cat would when it's dinnertime. 783 00:39:30,414 --> 00:39:32,252 (farmer calling) 784 00:39:32,451 --> 00:39:34,590 DeSANTIS: Lions are very clever, and in this sort of symbiotic 785 00:39:34,723 --> 00:39:37,730 relationship with them and humans, 786 00:39:37,829 --> 00:39:39,800 they're essentially able to learn that humans 787 00:39:39,833 --> 00:39:43,642 are providing them notification that there are prey available. 788 00:39:43,741 --> 00:39:45,579 It's essentially like ringing a dinner bell, 789 00:39:45,745 --> 00:39:47,949 um, for these lions. 790 00:39:48,016 --> 00:39:51,557 And so they've learned not to attack humans in most cases. 791 00:39:51,624 --> 00:39:56,032 And there's amazing footage of people sitting down, 792 00:39:56,166 --> 00:40:00,776 relaxing just a few feet from lions. 793 00:40:01,777 --> 00:40:04,984 SHATNER: The cooperation between Indian farmers and Asiatic lions 794 00:40:05,084 --> 00:40:08,157 is proof that, in the right circumstances, 795 00:40:08,190 --> 00:40:13,166 humans and deadly predators can be friends instead of foes. 796 00:40:14,035 --> 00:40:17,175 But experts warn that we shouldn't 797 00:40:17,208 --> 00:40:21,617 let down our guard when in the presence of wild animals. 798 00:40:22,485 --> 00:40:25,090 Seeing these farmers walking and living 799 00:40:25,190 --> 00:40:28,965 amongst these lions, it completely blows my mind. 800 00:40:29,065 --> 00:40:31,571 Now, could the tables turn at any moment? 801 00:40:31,804 --> 00:40:33,709 Absolutely. 802 00:40:33,808 --> 00:40:38,050 These are still wild animals with instincts. 803 00:40:38,183 --> 00:40:39,887 I would say these animals still need to be 804 00:40:40,054 --> 00:40:41,557 treated with a lot of respect. 805 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:45,264 McCANN: Human beings like to think of themselves 806 00:40:45,264 --> 00:40:45,364 McCANN: Human beings like to think of themselves as above the rest of the animal kingdom 807 00:40:45,364 --> 00:40:47,937 as above the rest of the animal kingdom 808 00:40:48,070 --> 00:40:50,274 because we've innovated ourselves 809 00:40:50,274 --> 00:40:50,341 because we've innovated ourselves out of nature in many, many ways. 810 00:40:50,341 --> 00:40:52,913 out of nature in many, many ways. 811 00:40:53,748 --> 00:40:56,620 But when faced with a predator, 812 00:40:56,687 --> 00:41:00,729 without the benefit of technology such as weaponry, 813 00:41:00,829 --> 00:41:03,568 the predator just sees us as food. 814 00:41:03,701 --> 00:41:05,739 Essentially, our pecking order is not 815 00:41:05,839 --> 00:41:07,374 necessarily the top of the food chain. 816 00:41:07,576 --> 00:41:09,580 And, you know, 817 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:11,984 we are a part of the natural community. 818 00:41:12,853 --> 00:41:15,090 We can be prey. We can be predators. 819 00:41:15,090 --> 00:41:15,124 We can be prey. We can be predators. It depends on the situation. 820 00:41:15,124 --> 00:41:17,261 It depends on the situation. 821 00:41:17,562 --> 00:41:20,936 But ultimately, we can succumb to a crocodile, 822 00:41:20,969 --> 00:41:22,639 to a lion, 823 00:41:22,806 --> 00:41:24,676 to a tiger at any moment. 824 00:41:26,714 --> 00:41:30,254 Is it possible for humans and dangerous animals 825 00:41:30,254 --> 00:41:30,288 Is it possible for humans and dangerous animals to peacefully coexist? 826 00:41:30,288 --> 00:41:32,726 to peacefully coexist? 827 00:41:32,859 --> 00:41:34,997 It's certainly an optimistic thought. 828 00:41:35,932 --> 00:41:38,170 But let's not forget, animals are driven by the same 829 00:41:38,236 --> 00:41:42,411 instincts that we are: hunger, fear, even revenge. 830 00:41:42,679 --> 00:41:45,919 And if a deadly predator decides that it's out for blood, 831 00:41:46,019 --> 00:41:48,024 there's not much that we can do to stop it. 832 00:41:48,123 --> 00:41:51,397 Which is why some creatures will remain 833 00:41:51,564 --> 00:41:53,568 wild, unpredictable and... 834 00:41:53,768 --> 00:41:55,606 unexplained. 835 00:41:55,738 --> 00:41:57,074 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A+E NETWORKS