1
00:00:05,048 --> 00:00:06,658
[man screaming]
2
00:00:06,789 --> 00:00:10,793
Killer crocodiles
that attack without warning.
3
00:00:10,923 --> 00:00:14,971
And great white sharks
that are out for blood.
4
00:00:15,102 --> 00:00:16,929
[man screaming]
5
00:00:17,060 --> 00:00:20,759
Since the dawn of civilization,
mankind has known
6
00:00:20,890 --> 00:00:23,066
that wild animals are dangerous,
7
00:00:23,197 --> 00:00:26,591
and if provoked,
they might attack.
8
00:00:26,722 --> 00:00:29,638
But what about when
a deadly predator kills people
9
00:00:29,768 --> 00:00:33,511
not just once
but time and time again?
10
00:00:33,642 --> 00:00:36,123
Is it possible that
some creatures hunt us down
11
00:00:36,253 --> 00:00:38,299
because they actually
have a taste
12
00:00:38,429 --> 00:00:41,084
for human flesh?
13
00:00:41,215 --> 00:00:44,783
Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
14
00:00:44,914 --> 00:00:46,916
♪
15
00:01:05,152 --> 00:01:06,849
Thousands of
workers have come to this
16
00:01:06,979 --> 00:01:09,069
remote patch
of the African savannah
17
00:01:09,199 --> 00:01:12,898
to build a new railroad line
for the British Empire.
18
00:01:14,987 --> 00:01:17,207
One night, as the men sleep,
19
00:01:17,338 --> 00:01:19,818
they're awakened by
the sound of screaming.
20
00:01:19,949 --> 00:01:21,168
[man screaming]
21
00:01:21,298 --> 00:01:23,387
They quickly realize
22
00:01:23,518 --> 00:01:25,650
that a fearsome lion
has crept into the camp
23
00:01:25,781 --> 00:01:28,218
and is attacking
a man in his tent.
24
00:01:30,046 --> 00:01:34,268
BRUCE PATTERSON:
A big male lion
entered the tent of a foreman,
25
00:01:34,398 --> 00:01:38,315
seized him by the head, dragged
him out screaming and kicking
26
00:01:38,446 --> 00:01:42,450
into the bush, where, uh, his
remains were found the next day.
27
00:01:42,580 --> 00:01:44,539
And there was
very little left of him.
28
00:01:45,931 --> 00:01:49,892
But his head was left
almost completely intact,
29
00:01:50,022 --> 00:01:53,156
pierced on the sides
by the lion's teeth,
30
00:01:53,287 --> 00:01:57,769
his eyes wide open, frozen
in a look of horror and fear.
31
00:01:59,902 --> 00:02:01,338
SHATNER:
The savage killing
of the foreman
32
00:02:01,469 --> 00:02:04,036
marked the beginning
of a vicious murder spree
33
00:02:04,167 --> 00:02:08,345
carried out by not one
but two vicious lions,
34
00:02:08,476 --> 00:02:10,739
who quickly earned the nickname,
35
00:02:10,869 --> 00:02:14,003
the Tsavo Man-Eaters.
36
00:02:14,134 --> 00:02:17,659
LARISSA DeSANTIS:
The two man-eaters
were particularly large.
37
00:02:17,789 --> 00:02:21,228
They were upwards
of nine feet in length.
38
00:02:21,358 --> 00:02:24,274
We know that these
two lions were both males.
39
00:02:24,405 --> 00:02:26,581
And they don't have
the large iconic manes
40
00:02:26,711 --> 00:02:28,496
that you would expect
of most African lions.
41
00:02:30,498 --> 00:02:32,978
So these lions were smart.
They were patient.
42
00:02:33,109 --> 00:02:36,939
They were able to
effectively hunt their prey,
43
00:02:37,069 --> 00:02:39,420
and if you have
the element of surprise,
44
00:02:39,550 --> 00:02:41,378
humans really can't
do anything about that.
45
00:02:43,119 --> 00:02:47,167
There were 3,000 men camped
along the rail lines,
46
00:02:47,297 --> 00:02:49,343
and that left
the men in tents there
47
00:02:49,473 --> 00:02:51,562
vulnerable to attacks by lions.
48
00:02:53,085 --> 00:02:56,393
The two male lions
descended on railway crews,
49
00:02:56,524 --> 00:03:00,223
and began
systematically hunting, killing
50
00:03:00,354 --> 00:03:04,749
and consuming railway workers
on the edge of this camp.
51
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:09,145
Of course, the crews became
completely dispirited,
52
00:03:09,276 --> 00:03:11,626
and this sparked panic,
53
00:03:11,756 --> 00:03:16,326
this sparked desperation,
this sparked mass desertion.
54
00:03:17,719 --> 00:03:20,939
It was headline news
back in England at the time,
55
00:03:21,070 --> 00:03:23,812
where in Parliament,
delays in the construction
56
00:03:23,942 --> 00:03:26,771
of the railway
were discussed as being
57
00:03:26,902 --> 00:03:29,339
attributed to
these problematic lions.
58
00:03:30,819 --> 00:03:32,995
SHATNER:
News of the savage attacks
carried out
59
00:03:33,125 --> 00:03:37,129
by the Tsavo Man-Eaters
made headlines around the world.
60
00:03:37,260 --> 00:03:40,481
And many began to wonder
why these two lions
61
00:03:40,611 --> 00:03:44,311
were deliberately killing
and eating so many people.
62
00:03:45,964 --> 00:03:49,707
Incidents of man eating
among lions is very unusual.
63
00:03:51,013 --> 00:03:53,624
Lions typically eat zebra,
64
00:03:53,755 --> 00:03:57,802
wildebeest, buffalo,
things that eat grass.
65
00:03:57,933 --> 00:04:02,938
They know their prey very well,
but a man-eating lion must study
66
00:04:03,068 --> 00:04:06,507
the habits of humans
and learn to...
67
00:04:06,637 --> 00:04:09,510
adjust to them
in order to be successful
68
00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:11,294
in their food acquisition.
69
00:04:14,210 --> 00:04:18,083
DeSANTIS:
We don't see
lions attacking and hunting
70
00:04:18,214 --> 00:04:21,652
and trying to go after people
most of the time.
71
00:04:21,783 --> 00:04:24,525
But these
two lions in particular
72
00:04:24,655 --> 00:04:27,832
were sort of committed
to the practice of man eating.
73
00:04:27,963 --> 00:04:30,270
-[lion growling]
-It's possible
74
00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,924
that then
we became a preferred food.
75
00:04:35,100 --> 00:04:39,279
SHATNER:
On December 9, 1898,
nine months after their reign
76
00:04:39,409 --> 00:04:43,500
of terror began, the first
Tsavo lion was shot and killed.
77
00:04:45,850 --> 00:04:48,853
20 days later, the second lion
met the same fate.
78
00:04:50,638 --> 00:04:52,901
But by then,
the pair of man-eaters had
79
00:04:53,031 --> 00:04:54,772
already killed and eaten
80
00:04:54,903 --> 00:04:59,560
an astonishing 135 people.
81
00:04:59,690 --> 00:05:01,692
CORBIN MAXEY:
There's no evidence
82
00:05:01,823 --> 00:05:04,782
that shows that the
Tsavo Man-Eaters were starving.
83
00:05:04,913 --> 00:05:07,611
There was actually
plentiful prey in the area--
84
00:05:07,742 --> 00:05:09,657
wildebeests,
85
00:05:09,787 --> 00:05:13,617
zebra, gazelles, hippos.
86
00:05:13,748 --> 00:05:16,968
And yet they chose
to eat humans.
87
00:05:17,099 --> 00:05:19,493
It is a very unusual situation.
88
00:05:22,017 --> 00:05:23,975
SHATNER:
The Tsavo Man-Eaters are
perhaps the most
89
00:05:24,106 --> 00:05:26,761
infamous lions in history.
90
00:05:26,891 --> 00:05:29,894
Their seemingly insatiable
desire to kill humans
91
00:05:30,025 --> 00:05:32,810
taps into our most primal fears,
92
00:05:32,941 --> 00:05:36,118
and is a reminder that
our ancient ancestors lived
93
00:05:36,248 --> 00:05:40,122
in constant fear of being
attacked by dangerous predators.
94
00:05:41,732 --> 00:05:44,082
NATALIA REAGAN:
Early on,
our ancestors were often
95
00:05:44,213 --> 00:05:47,608
preyed upon
because we don't have giant
96
00:05:47,738 --> 00:05:50,785
claws and armor
and things of that sort.
97
00:05:50,915 --> 00:05:53,875
We've got this big brain
that can help us hopefully
98
00:05:54,005 --> 00:05:56,225
outthink and outcompete
these predators,
99
00:05:56,356 --> 00:05:59,837
but given
the right circumstances,
100
00:05:59,968 --> 00:06:02,057
we're very vulnerable.
101
00:06:03,232 --> 00:06:05,234
We humans like to think
that we're
102
00:06:05,365 --> 00:06:07,584
at the top of the food chain.
103
00:06:07,715 --> 00:06:09,804
But thousands
and thousands of years ago,
104
00:06:09,934 --> 00:06:13,764
we were eaten alive
by almost any and everything.
105
00:06:13,895 --> 00:06:16,419
And what is very interesting
about that is
106
00:06:16,550 --> 00:06:19,814
scientists have actually
shown infants
107
00:06:19,944 --> 00:06:23,992
images of snakes,
images of spiders,
108
00:06:24,122 --> 00:06:26,821
and infants who have never
seen these animals before
109
00:06:26,951 --> 00:06:29,171
will freak out,
they'll show a fear response.
110
00:06:29,301 --> 00:06:31,260
They'll cry.
That's an alarm call.
111
00:06:31,391 --> 00:06:33,218
That is innate. It's in our DNA.
112
00:06:35,699 --> 00:06:37,309
SHATNER:
More than a hundred years
after the attacks
113
00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,616
by the Tsavo Man-Eaters,
114
00:06:39,747 --> 00:06:42,532
the mystery of what made
these two lions target people
115
00:06:42,663 --> 00:06:45,579
lingers in
the public consciousness.
116
00:06:45,709 --> 00:06:48,669
So much so that their skulls are
117
00:06:48,799 --> 00:06:51,498
on display at the Field Museum
of Natural History
118
00:06:51,628 --> 00:06:54,283
in Chicago, Illinois,
119
00:06:54,414 --> 00:06:56,807
where scientists
continue to study them
120
00:06:56,938 --> 00:07:01,377
in search of clues as to why
they became man-eaters.
121
00:07:01,508 --> 00:07:04,119
And according
to the latest research,
122
00:07:04,249 --> 00:07:06,513
it appears
the lions' murderous rampage
123
00:07:06,643 --> 00:07:09,907
may have ironically
had something to do
124
00:07:10,038 --> 00:07:11,692
with their teeth.
125
00:07:13,433 --> 00:07:16,305
PATTERSON:
The teeth of lions,
they're used to crack bones
126
00:07:16,436 --> 00:07:19,221
and get the marrow
that's inside them,
127
00:07:19,351 --> 00:07:22,964
and it's quite typical
in lion dentitions to find
128
00:07:23,094 --> 00:07:26,881
missing or broken teeth
associated with this heavy use.
129
00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,668
It's not typical, however,
to find dental disease.
130
00:07:31,799 --> 00:07:34,497
Yet, in the case
of the Tsavo lion,
131
00:07:34,628 --> 00:07:37,848
we had a broken
lower right canine
132
00:07:37,979 --> 00:07:42,897
whose pulp cavity was exposed
about a third of an inch across.
133
00:07:43,027 --> 00:07:46,901
That would have been
excruciatingly painful.
134
00:07:47,031 --> 00:07:50,600
This is a cast of the skull
of the first man-eater,
135
00:07:50,731 --> 00:07:55,083
and this is the broken
lower right canine tooth
136
00:07:55,213 --> 00:07:58,739
that ultimately became
diseased and impacted.
137
00:08:00,262 --> 00:08:02,917
This lion would have been unable
to administer the killing bite
138
00:08:03,047 --> 00:08:07,487
that lions use to take down
large, struggling prey.
139
00:08:07,617 --> 00:08:10,925
So we think that the arrival
of the railway workers in camp
140
00:08:11,055 --> 00:08:13,971
happened at exactly
the right time
141
00:08:14,102 --> 00:08:16,626
for this individual lion, that,
142
00:08:16,757 --> 00:08:19,934
as it had become incapable
143
00:08:20,064 --> 00:08:23,503
of taking down buffalo,
it looked on people
144
00:08:23,633 --> 00:08:26,897
with a new eye
and a new appetite.
145
00:08:28,812 --> 00:08:30,640
SHATNER:
Did a debilitating
toothache turn the first
146
00:08:30,771 --> 00:08:32,947
Tsavo lion into a man-eater
147
00:08:33,077 --> 00:08:37,038
because humans are softer prey
that were easier to bite?
148
00:08:37,168 --> 00:08:39,780
It's a compelling theory.
149
00:08:39,910 --> 00:08:42,304
But scientists have
verified that the other
150
00:08:42,434 --> 00:08:45,263
Tsavo lion's teeth
were perfectly healthy.
151
00:08:45,394 --> 00:08:48,702
So why did it join
in the killing?
152
00:08:48,832 --> 00:08:52,532
MAXEY:
One of the Tsavo lions
had extreme dental issues.
153
00:08:52,662 --> 00:08:56,274
The second lion did not have
those dental injuries.
154
00:08:56,405 --> 00:08:58,755
So why would this lion
go towards humans?
155
00:08:58,886 --> 00:09:00,365
It's because it learned
from the other lion
156
00:09:00,496 --> 00:09:04,239
that humans are an easy target.
157
00:09:04,369 --> 00:09:06,894
Constantly,
predators are-are learning
158
00:09:07,024 --> 00:09:08,373
from success, from failures.
159
00:09:08,504 --> 00:09:09,897
They're learning from others.
160
00:09:10,027 --> 00:09:11,289
They're learning
how to take down prey.
161
00:09:11,420 --> 00:09:13,553
They're learning how to hunt.
162
00:09:13,683 --> 00:09:16,077
And so
it's not surprising to see
163
00:09:16,207 --> 00:09:19,689
that the second man-eater
started eating people as well.
164
00:09:19,820 --> 00:09:22,605
We probably were,
um, an easy meal.
165
00:09:25,303 --> 00:09:28,437
We oftentimes will see an animal
that has killed multiple humans
166
00:09:28,568 --> 00:09:31,005
and think, "Oh, wow,
they're gunning for us."
167
00:09:31,135 --> 00:09:33,616
But we have to really
remember and reframe it
168
00:09:33,747 --> 00:09:37,011
as these are animals that are
doing just what they have to do
169
00:09:37,141 --> 00:09:40,580
to make it into
the next week, the next year.
170
00:09:40,710 --> 00:09:43,408
Just like we would.
It's kind of eat or be eaten.
171
00:09:44,627 --> 00:09:48,805
The story of the Tsavo
man-eating lions
172
00:09:48,936 --> 00:09:51,939
is proof positive
that some animals enjoy
173
00:09:52,069 --> 00:09:54,855
having humans on the menu,
so to speak.
174
00:09:54,985 --> 00:09:58,032
But there's another creature
who reportedly killed
175
00:09:58,162 --> 00:10:02,514
over a hundred people
that is even more unsettling.
176
00:10:04,081 --> 00:10:06,649
A fearsome predator that roamed
the French countryside
177
00:10:06,780 --> 00:10:09,957
and was known
as the Beast of Gévaudan.
178
00:10:18,574 --> 00:10:21,403
SHATNER:
On a warm summer morning
in this farming region
179
00:10:21,533 --> 00:10:23,971
of south central France,
180
00:10:24,101 --> 00:10:26,756
14-year-old Jeanne Boulet
leaves home
181
00:10:26,887 --> 00:10:28,628
to tend her flock of sheep.
182
00:10:31,065 --> 00:10:33,502
By sundown, she's dead.
183
00:10:35,591 --> 00:10:38,594
Murdered by a mysterious animal
184
00:10:38,725 --> 00:10:41,205
that reportedly
mutilated her body,
185
00:10:41,336 --> 00:10:43,468
severed her head
186
00:10:43,599 --> 00:10:45,688
and ripped out her heart.
187
00:10:47,124 --> 00:10:50,214
Jeanne Boulet was the first
documented casualty
188
00:10:50,345 --> 00:10:53,217
of a monster
that many people believed
189
00:10:53,348 --> 00:10:55,567
was roaming
around south central France
190
00:10:55,698 --> 00:10:59,484
beginning
in the late spring of 1764.
191
00:10:59,615 --> 00:11:02,923
By the end of September,
another ten or so casualties,
192
00:11:03,053 --> 00:11:04,838
however, had appeared.
193
00:11:04,968 --> 00:11:07,188
GERHARD:
Le Bête du Gévaudan,
194
00:11:07,318 --> 00:11:09,364
also known
as the Beast of Gévaudan,
195
00:11:09,494 --> 00:11:11,453
was a mysterious
wolflike creature
196
00:11:11,583 --> 00:11:14,456
which mounted
a murderous rampage
197
00:11:14,586 --> 00:11:17,633
over a three-year span
within the 18th century.
198
00:11:19,156 --> 00:11:21,681
The beast frequently attacked
women and young children
199
00:11:21,811 --> 00:11:25,075
who had been assigned the task
of herding sheep and cattle
200
00:11:25,206 --> 00:11:26,947
in remote mountainous meadows.
201
00:11:27,077 --> 00:11:28,644
And in many cases,
202
00:11:28,775 --> 00:11:30,428
they were rather
defenseless and vulnerable.
203
00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:32,213
[growling]
204
00:11:32,343 --> 00:11:35,999
SHATNER:
Between 1764 and 1767,
205
00:11:36,130 --> 00:11:38,088
the so-called Beast of Gévaudan
206
00:11:38,219 --> 00:11:40,134
terrorized
the Margeride mountain region
207
00:11:40,264 --> 00:11:42,092
of southern France.
208
00:11:43,659 --> 00:11:46,053
According to historical records,
209
00:11:46,183 --> 00:11:50,100
more than 100 people
were brutally killed.
210
00:11:51,972 --> 00:11:53,713
SMITH:
The Beast of
the Gévaudan's ravages
211
00:11:53,843 --> 00:11:56,411
did incite panic
among the people.
212
00:11:56,541 --> 00:11:59,414
And we know this largely
from evidence from journalists
213
00:11:59,544 --> 00:12:01,111
and others
who were commenting about
214
00:12:01,242 --> 00:12:03,113
the activities of the beast.
215
00:12:03,244 --> 00:12:07,117
By early 1765,
newspapers all across France
216
00:12:07,248 --> 00:12:09,859
and, indeed,
all across Europe and in America
217
00:12:09,990 --> 00:12:12,819
were reporting
on the Beast of the Gévaudan--
218
00:12:12,949 --> 00:12:15,691
his exploits,
the various hunts for the beast,
219
00:12:15,822 --> 00:12:17,954
the various
mysteries surrounding it--
220
00:12:18,085 --> 00:12:21,305
which is why so many people
were transfixed by this story.
221
00:12:23,003 --> 00:12:25,266
GERHARD:
There were many attempts
to hunt down the beast.
222
00:12:25,396 --> 00:12:28,269
People in the Gévaudan region
typically did not own guns,
223
00:12:28,399 --> 00:12:30,401
but there were posses formed.
224
00:12:30,532 --> 00:12:32,447
Groups that would go out
in the woods and literally
225
00:12:32,577 --> 00:12:35,319
beat the brush
with pitchforks, sticks,
226
00:12:35,450 --> 00:12:37,974
knives, whatever types
of weapons were available.
227
00:12:38,105 --> 00:12:40,760
However, the hunt
for the beast really ramped up
228
00:12:40,890 --> 00:12:43,980
when King Louis XV
became involved.
229
00:12:44,111 --> 00:12:47,636
He brought in a professional
wolf hunter named d'Enneval,
230
00:12:47,767 --> 00:12:50,160
who allegedly killed
over a hundred wolves,
231
00:12:50,291 --> 00:12:52,162
but the killing still
did not end.
232
00:12:53,990 --> 00:12:57,037
SHATNER:
According to multiple reports,
the beast resembled a wolf
233
00:12:57,167 --> 00:13:00,649
but was unlike any canine
that was known to man.
234
00:13:02,477 --> 00:13:05,393
GERHARD:
Many of the local villagers
noted as saying it resembles
235
00:13:05,523 --> 00:13:09,005
a very large wolf, but
the Beast of Gévaudan attacked
236
00:13:09,136 --> 00:13:13,096
and killed people in a nature
that was very unlike a wolf.
237
00:13:13,227 --> 00:13:14,619
[growling]
238
00:13:14,750 --> 00:13:16,404
The nature of these attacks,
239
00:13:16,534 --> 00:13:17,753
-the way that this thing
-[wolf howling]
240
00:13:17,884 --> 00:13:20,408
was decapitating people,
241
00:13:20,538 --> 00:13:22,714
disemboweling people,
242
00:13:22,845 --> 00:13:24,151
this was something
completely different.
243
00:13:25,935 --> 00:13:29,069
SMITH:
One of the reasons this
becomes such a magnetic story
244
00:13:29,199 --> 00:13:31,985
is because there were
always new strange stories
245
00:13:32,115 --> 00:13:33,725
about the beast's behavior,
246
00:13:33,856 --> 00:13:35,989
its appearance,
its strange abilities.
247
00:13:37,338 --> 00:13:40,776
The peasants on the ground
were describing it
248
00:13:40,907 --> 00:13:45,041
as having the ability
to walk on its hind legs,
249
00:13:45,172 --> 00:13:50,220
glowing eyes, and having five
or six talons rather than four.
250
00:13:51,743 --> 00:13:54,790
They didn't use
the word "werewolf."
251
00:13:54,921 --> 00:13:58,141
They used descriptions of
this creature that made it easy
252
00:13:58,272 --> 00:14:00,578
to believe that this
could indeed be a werewolf.
253
00:14:02,798 --> 00:14:05,192
GERHARD:
The Beast of Gévaudan is
one of France's
254
00:14:05,322 --> 00:14:07,803
most enduring
and popular mysteries.
255
00:14:07,934 --> 00:14:09,370
There are museums.
256
00:14:10,501 --> 00:14:12,416
There are statues.
257
00:14:12,547 --> 00:14:14,854
There are songs.
There are stories.
258
00:14:14,984 --> 00:14:18,074
This was like
a real-life nightmare.
259
00:14:18,205 --> 00:14:20,033
To this day,
the Beast of Gévaudan
260
00:14:20,163 --> 00:14:22,687
is celebrated in French culture,
261
00:14:22,818 --> 00:14:24,733
and it really has
a profound effect on people.
262
00:14:26,387 --> 00:14:29,259
SHATNER:
The descriptions of the beast
were so terrifying
263
00:14:29,390 --> 00:14:31,740
that it's not surprising
locals thought
264
00:14:31,871 --> 00:14:36,092
it was some kind
of supernatural monster.
265
00:14:36,223 --> 00:14:39,052
But there were
scientists at the time
266
00:14:39,182 --> 00:14:42,011
who proposed a different theory.
267
00:14:42,142 --> 00:14:44,666
SMITH:
Among the many hypotheses
that emerged
268
00:14:44,796 --> 00:14:47,103
was that the beast
might be an African hyena.
269
00:14:47,234 --> 00:14:51,281
The hyena was this
very mysterious creature
270
00:14:51,412 --> 00:14:54,197
that lots of naturalists
and others wrote about
271
00:14:54,328 --> 00:14:57,244
in the 1750s and '60s.
272
00:14:57,374 --> 00:14:59,681
GERHARD:
The general description of
273
00:14:59,811 --> 00:15:02,640
the Beast of Gévaudan
was a wolflike creature
274
00:15:02,771 --> 00:15:06,688
but bigger, the size
of a mule or a calf, perhaps.
275
00:15:06,818 --> 00:15:09,212
It had a large head.
276
00:15:09,343 --> 00:15:12,650
It had a long muzzle,
lined with razor-sharp teeth.
277
00:15:12,781 --> 00:15:15,088
Pointy ears.
278
00:15:15,218 --> 00:15:17,960
A long tail with
a tuft of fur on the end.
279
00:15:19,483 --> 00:15:21,485
The coat of fur was
typically described
280
00:15:21,616 --> 00:15:25,533
as a reddish brown or gray,
with a black stripe
281
00:15:25,663 --> 00:15:28,144
running down the back,
and a white breast.
282
00:15:29,450 --> 00:15:31,147
These are hyena-like
characteristics.
283
00:15:34,281 --> 00:15:36,805
MAXEY:
Back in the day,
kings and even people of status
284
00:15:36,936 --> 00:15:39,503
had exotic pets,
they had exotic zoos.
285
00:15:39,634 --> 00:15:41,941
Who's to say
that a hyena didn't escape?
286
00:15:42,071 --> 00:15:44,769
If you take a look
at the victims,
287
00:15:44,900 --> 00:15:49,035
their chest cavities torn apart,
their limbs missing,
288
00:15:49,165 --> 00:15:51,515
their heads decapitated.
289
00:15:51,646 --> 00:15:54,823
This all resembles
attacks of a hyena.
290
00:15:56,956 --> 00:15:59,871
SHATNER:
Could the Beast of Gévaudan have
been an escaped African hyena?
291
00:16:00,002 --> 00:16:02,048
Perhaps.
292
00:16:02,178 --> 00:16:04,311
But some researchers
have suggested
293
00:16:04,441 --> 00:16:07,183
a less exotic possibility.
294
00:16:07,314 --> 00:16:09,446
GERHARD:
There are a number
of arguments for
295
00:16:09,577 --> 00:16:12,319
the Beast of Gévaudan
actually being a killer wolf.
296
00:16:14,103 --> 00:16:17,759
Wolves typically are very
timid animals around humans.
297
00:16:17,889 --> 00:16:20,370
But there have been
some 9,000 wolf attacks
298
00:16:20,501 --> 00:16:23,112
in France over the centuries.
299
00:16:23,243 --> 00:16:26,463
And there was also a theory
that the beast attacks may have
300
00:16:26,594 --> 00:16:29,989
been perpetrated by a wolf
that had come down with rabies.
301
00:16:31,512 --> 00:16:33,949
SHATNER:
According to experts,
rabid wolves often lose
302
00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,997
their innate fear of humans,
and walk with a strange gait.
303
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,652
Which are behaviors described
in the eyewitness accounts
304
00:16:41,783 --> 00:16:43,698
of the Beast of Gévaudan.
305
00:16:46,048 --> 00:16:49,443
But while the rabid wolf theory
may make sense,
306
00:16:49,573 --> 00:16:51,706
the best clue
scientists have today
307
00:16:51,836 --> 00:16:53,969
about the beast's identity
308
00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:57,233
was obtained on the day
it was reportedly killed.
309
00:16:58,756 --> 00:17:00,584
The beast's
reign of terror ended
310
00:17:00,715 --> 00:17:04,414
on June 19, 1767,
311
00:17:04,545 --> 00:17:06,808
when a local hunter
named Jean Chastel
312
00:17:06,938 --> 00:17:09,071
felled the monster
313
00:17:09,202 --> 00:17:11,073
with one shot
of a silver bullet.
314
00:17:15,773 --> 00:17:18,167
After Chastel shot
this strange creature,
315
00:17:18,298 --> 00:17:20,474
the killings actually stopped,
so everyone was
316
00:17:20,604 --> 00:17:22,911
in agreement that-that he had
actually killed the beast.
317
00:17:24,826 --> 00:17:27,959
A surgeon who conducted
an autopsy determined
318
00:17:28,090 --> 00:17:31,267
that while it resembled a wolf,
it was not a wolf.
319
00:17:31,398 --> 00:17:33,835
And in fact,
it possessed 40 teeth
320
00:17:33,965 --> 00:17:36,533
compared to a wolf's 42 teeth,
321
00:17:36,664 --> 00:17:38,883
which is quite strange.
322
00:17:41,147 --> 00:17:43,497
The beast's remains
were paraded around
323
00:17:43,627 --> 00:17:46,108
the Gévaudan region
for weeks thereafter.
324
00:17:46,239 --> 00:17:48,110
And by the time
the carcass was taken
325
00:17:48,241 --> 00:17:50,939
to the Palace of Versailles
and presented
326
00:17:51,070 --> 00:17:53,942
to King Louis XV,
it was so smelly
327
00:17:54,073 --> 00:17:55,813
that he immediately demanded
328
00:17:55,944 --> 00:17:57,467
that it be removed
from the palace.
329
00:17:57,598 --> 00:17:59,469
And to this day,
nobody knows what happened
330
00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,123
to those remains--
they vanished.
331
00:18:02,733 --> 00:18:04,909
Ultimately,
while some people feel
332
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,870
the Beast of Gévaudan may have
been a supernatural phenomenon,
333
00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:13,222
the deaths, the occurrences
documented, they're real.
334
00:18:13,353 --> 00:18:17,487
And the Beast of Gévaudan
remains a great mystery.
335
00:18:19,272 --> 00:18:22,797
Was the Beast of Gévaudan
a common wolf
336
00:18:22,927 --> 00:18:24,929
or something
even more terrifying?
337
00:18:26,279 --> 00:18:29,064
Either way,
this deadly creature drove fear
338
00:18:29,195 --> 00:18:31,501
into the hearts of people
all over France.
339
00:18:31,632 --> 00:18:35,244
And that was also the case
more than a century later,
340
00:18:35,375 --> 00:18:39,030
in the United States,
when a wave of panic was caused
341
00:18:39,161 --> 00:18:42,947
by the attacks
of a great white shark.
342
00:18:51,826 --> 00:18:54,002
SHATNER:
25-year-old Charles Vansant
is swimming
343
00:18:54,133 --> 00:18:56,178
in the brisk Atlantic waters
344
00:18:56,309 --> 00:18:58,180
off the coast
of this resort community...
345
00:18:59,660 --> 00:19:02,271
...when he's suddenly
attacked by a massive shark.
346
00:19:02,402 --> 00:19:05,187
[screaming]
347
00:19:05,318 --> 00:19:07,798
Lifeguards pull Vansant
from the water
348
00:19:07,929 --> 00:19:11,062
and see that his left thigh
has been stripped of its flesh
349
00:19:11,193 --> 00:19:14,283
by a massive set
of razor-sharp jaws.
350
00:19:15,545 --> 00:19:17,068
CAPUZZO:
The story is that they had to
351
00:19:17,199 --> 00:19:18,983
almost wrestle him away
from the shark.
352
00:19:19,114 --> 00:19:21,638
As they pulled him ashore with
the shark following him still,
353
00:19:21,769 --> 00:19:23,423
his father, who was a doctor,
operated on him
354
00:19:23,553 --> 00:19:25,076
or tried to save his life,
355
00:19:25,207 --> 00:19:27,122
but he died of...
of a flesh wound to...
356
00:19:27,253 --> 00:19:29,646
a bite on his...
his thigh, actually,
357
00:19:29,777 --> 00:19:31,866
and, uh, loss of blood.
358
00:19:33,868 --> 00:19:36,044
SHATNER:
The gory death
of Charles Vansant was
359
00:19:36,175 --> 00:19:39,917
the first recorded fatal
shark attack in U.S. history.
360
00:19:41,092 --> 00:19:44,052
And then on July 6th,
361
00:19:44,183 --> 00:19:47,447
a mere five days
after Vansant was killed,
362
00:19:47,577 --> 00:19:51,102
there was another attack
along the Jersey Shore.
363
00:19:51,233 --> 00:19:55,150
Charles Bruder,
who was a 27-year-old
364
00:19:55,281 --> 00:19:56,978
Swiss native
who was in the army,
365
00:19:57,108 --> 00:19:58,936
went for a swim,
366
00:19:59,067 --> 00:20:01,330
and 1,200 feet out,
in the middle of the day,
367
00:20:01,461 --> 00:20:03,724
was attacked and bitten
368
00:20:03,854 --> 00:20:05,204
by what appeared to be
about an eight-
369
00:20:05,334 --> 00:20:07,336
or nine-foot great white shark
370
00:20:07,467 --> 00:20:10,078
that severed his legs
and a part of his torso.
371
00:20:10,209 --> 00:20:13,212
By the time
the lifeguards got out there,
372
00:20:13,342 --> 00:20:15,083
there was hardly
anything to lift into the boat.
373
00:20:16,954 --> 00:20:20,784
SHATNER:
This second deadly attack was
widely reported in newspapers
374
00:20:20,915 --> 00:20:24,832
across the country,
and set off a nationwide panic.
375
00:20:24,962 --> 00:20:28,139
Many people believed
it was no longer safe
376
00:20:28,270 --> 00:20:30,968
to swim in the ocean
off the coast of New Jersey.
377
00:20:31,099 --> 00:20:34,624
And several beaches
were closed by the authorities.
378
00:20:34,755 --> 00:20:37,497
The public reaction
was hysterical.
379
00:20:37,627 --> 00:20:40,108
There were calls all the way up
to President Wilson.
380
00:20:40,239 --> 00:20:42,763
Woodrow Wilson had
a cabinet meeting
381
00:20:42,893 --> 00:20:45,853
and talked to the early men
who founded the Coast Guard
382
00:20:45,983 --> 00:20:48,159
about eradicating all the sharks
on the East Coast.
383
00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:51,380
Bounties were given
by towns and cities,
384
00:20:51,511 --> 00:20:55,863
and anybody that could kill
any shark could get $100.
385
00:20:55,993 --> 00:20:59,867
You had fishermen going out,
catching and killing sharks.
386
00:20:59,997 --> 00:21:02,435
And it wasn't
just in New Jersey.
387
00:21:02,565 --> 00:21:05,002
It was all up and down
the Eastern Seaboard
388
00:21:05,133 --> 00:21:09,006
and even infiltrated
into the coastal states,
389
00:21:09,137 --> 00:21:11,531
Texas, Louisiana,
390
00:21:11,661 --> 00:21:15,448
and as far as the Pacific coast
of North America.
391
00:21:16,971 --> 00:21:18,929
SHATNER:
Less than one week
after Charles Bruder
392
00:21:19,060 --> 00:21:21,149
was killed, on July 12th,
393
00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,632
three more people were attacked
by what many witnesses claimed
394
00:21:25,762 --> 00:21:28,374
was an eight-
or nine-foot shark.
395
00:21:28,504 --> 00:21:31,725
Curiously, all five
of these incidents took place
396
00:21:31,855 --> 00:21:35,381
along a 50-mile stretch
off the coast of New Jersey.
397
00:21:35,511 --> 00:21:37,992
Because of their proximity
and the similarities
398
00:21:38,122 --> 00:21:40,473
between eyewitness accounts,
399
00:21:40,603 --> 00:21:43,563
many began to wonder
whether the horrific attacks
400
00:21:43,693 --> 00:21:48,742
could have been the work
of a single killer shark.
401
00:21:48,872 --> 00:21:51,353
CAPUZZO:
The New Jersey attacks
are so strange,
402
00:21:51,484 --> 00:21:54,269
'cause sharks don't kill people
with any kind of regularity
403
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,140
and nobody witnesses it
404
00:21:56,271 --> 00:21:58,099
with any kind of regularity
when it happens.
405
00:21:58,229 --> 00:22:00,188
But the concept of a rogue shark
406
00:22:00,319 --> 00:22:02,103
that kills or injuries
one person
407
00:22:02,233 --> 00:22:04,497
and that gets a taste
for human flesh
408
00:22:04,627 --> 00:22:07,195
and goes after another
like a serial killer,
409
00:22:07,326 --> 00:22:08,762
the Jersey Shore may be
the best evidence
410
00:22:08,892 --> 00:22:10,590
we have that
that's ever happened.
411
00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,244
SHATNER:
On July 14, 1916,
412
00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:16,247
two weeks after
the first fatal attack,
413
00:22:16,378 --> 00:22:19,250
a taxidermist named
Michael Schleisser caught
414
00:22:19,381 --> 00:22:23,429
a seven-and-a-half-foot,
325-pound great white shark
415
00:22:23,559 --> 00:22:26,954
off the northern end
of the Jersey Shore.
416
00:22:28,521 --> 00:22:30,914
After cutting open its stomach,
authorities found what appeared
417
00:22:31,045 --> 00:22:34,178
to be partially digested
human remains.
418
00:22:35,876 --> 00:22:39,793
There are many who believe
that this great white shark was
419
00:22:39,923 --> 00:22:42,970
responsible for all
five attacks that took place,
420
00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:45,581
four of which were fatal.
421
00:22:45,712 --> 00:22:48,628
Fatal shark attacks
on humans are seldom
422
00:22:48,758 --> 00:22:50,760
predatory for feeding.
423
00:22:50,891 --> 00:22:53,807
So what was going on
that would cause a series
424
00:22:53,937 --> 00:22:57,898
of five attacks
over a 11-day period,
425
00:22:58,028 --> 00:22:59,595
what was behind all of this?
426
00:23:00,770 --> 00:23:02,642
People panicked.
427
00:23:02,772 --> 00:23:05,558
No one wanted
to go in the ocean.
428
00:23:05,688 --> 00:23:09,605
So its effect on individuals,
citizens, was enormous.
429
00:23:10,911 --> 00:23:13,392
And it was something that,
to this day,
430
00:23:13,522 --> 00:23:15,872
still has an effect on us.
431
00:23:17,570 --> 00:23:20,137
SHATNER:
The 1916 Jersey Shore attacks
helped to popularize
432
00:23:20,268 --> 00:23:23,837
the notion of sharks
as deadly man-eaters.
433
00:23:25,229 --> 00:23:27,144
More than 50 years later,
the killings inspired
434
00:23:27,275 --> 00:23:30,321
the 1974 novel Jaws
by Peter Benchley,
435
00:23:30,452 --> 00:23:32,976
which became the basis
of the blockbuster film
436
00:23:33,107 --> 00:23:35,544
made by Steven Spielberg
that terrorized
437
00:23:35,675 --> 00:23:38,155
generations of beachgoers.
438
00:23:39,766 --> 00:23:42,638
But despite
their bad reputation,
439
00:23:42,769 --> 00:23:46,599
the truth is that
sharks rarely kill humans.
440
00:23:46,729 --> 00:23:48,992
According to statistics gathered
441
00:23:49,123 --> 00:23:51,038
by the International
Shark Attack File,
442
00:23:51,168 --> 00:23:54,781
on average, there are
only five fatal shark attacks
443
00:23:54,911 --> 00:23:56,739
worldwide per year.
444
00:23:58,001 --> 00:24:00,351
So why does
the belief persist that
445
00:24:00,482 --> 00:24:03,572
some sharks are
a serious threat to humans?
446
00:24:06,009 --> 00:24:08,621
Over the years,
sharks, especially white sharks,
447
00:24:08,751 --> 00:24:10,753
have been portrayed as killers.
448
00:24:10,884 --> 00:24:13,756
Unfortunately, people
are killed from time to time.
449
00:24:13,887 --> 00:24:16,019
It has been postulated
450
00:24:16,150 --> 00:24:18,631
that white sharks' hunting has
451
00:24:18,761 --> 00:24:22,722
similarities into the tactics
utilized by serial killers.
452
00:24:24,288 --> 00:24:27,640
Serial killers use what is
referred to as an anchor point,
453
00:24:27,770 --> 00:24:30,599
which is where
they will sit and watch
454
00:24:30,730 --> 00:24:33,036
and pick their victim.
455
00:24:33,167 --> 00:24:35,125
White sharks do the same thing.
456
00:24:35,256 --> 00:24:38,259
White sharks like
to hunt stealth,
457
00:24:38,389 --> 00:24:41,044
where the intended victim
can't see them.
458
00:24:43,177 --> 00:24:45,222
MAXEY:
A lot of people often
look at sharks and think
459
00:24:45,353 --> 00:24:47,181
that there's nothing going on.
460
00:24:47,311 --> 00:24:49,879
But great whites
are intelligent animals.
461
00:24:50,010 --> 00:24:52,403
We've watched
great whites attack seals.
462
00:24:52,534 --> 00:24:56,364
And you'll find the older
great whites will pick out
463
00:24:56,495 --> 00:24:58,714
specific individuals,
usually young ones.
464
00:25:00,237 --> 00:25:02,109
It's very methodical.
465
00:25:02,239 --> 00:25:05,591
So it is 100% possible
466
00:25:05,721 --> 00:25:08,071
that some sharks
like the taste of people.
467
00:25:09,812 --> 00:25:12,336
SHATNER:
Are there certain sharks
that specifically
468
00:25:12,467 --> 00:25:15,644
and methodically hunt people?
469
00:25:15,775 --> 00:25:19,561
Some marine biologists
have suggested it's possible.
470
00:25:19,692 --> 00:25:23,260
But if this theory is true,
then what's even more disturbing
471
00:25:23,391 --> 00:25:26,916
is that a killer shark
may keep stalking people
472
00:25:27,047 --> 00:25:30,050
for a very long, long time.
473
00:25:31,530 --> 00:25:34,489
Great whites can live
to be 80-plus years old.
474
00:25:34,620 --> 00:25:37,100
There are some accounts
of specimens being over 100.
475
00:25:38,580 --> 00:25:41,235
They study their subjects
just like a serial killer.
476
00:25:41,365 --> 00:25:44,325
They learn from their mistakes
just like a serial killer.
477
00:25:44,455 --> 00:25:46,762
That's terrifying.
478
00:25:48,634 --> 00:25:51,288
Is it possible that some sharks
479
00:25:51,419 --> 00:25:53,943
methodically stalk human beings?
480
00:25:54,074 --> 00:25:55,989
Perhaps.
481
00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:57,947
But there is one
man-eating creature
482
00:25:58,078 --> 00:25:59,993
that we know has definitely
483
00:26:00,123 --> 00:26:03,083
been targeting humans
for decades.
484
00:26:03,213 --> 00:26:05,912
A massive crocodile
485
00:26:06,042 --> 00:26:07,870
that doesn't eat its victims
486
00:26:08,001 --> 00:26:10,525
but rather appears
to kill people
487
00:26:10,656 --> 00:26:19,795
just for the thrill of it.
488
00:26:19,926 --> 00:26:22,406
SHATNER:
February 19, 1945.
489
00:26:23,538 --> 00:26:25,975
On this 500-square-mile island,
490
00:26:26,106 --> 00:26:29,892
Allied British forces
drive 1,000 Japanese soldiers
491
00:26:30,023 --> 00:26:34,157
deep into the murky waters
of a ten-mile swamp.
492
00:26:35,942 --> 00:26:38,945
But as night falls,
the Japanese soon realize
493
00:26:39,075 --> 00:26:42,470
that they're being hunted by
a very different kind of enemy,
494
00:26:42,601 --> 00:26:45,778
as one by one, they're killed
495
00:26:45,908 --> 00:26:48,824
by a group
of massive crocodiles.
496
00:26:51,479 --> 00:26:55,222
These crocodiles were giant--
15, 16 feet long--
497
00:26:55,352 --> 00:26:58,442
and they went
on a killing rampage.
498
00:27:00,662 --> 00:27:04,579
There were accounts
of bloodcurdling screams
499
00:27:04,710 --> 00:27:07,626
from men trying
to save other men
500
00:27:07,756 --> 00:27:10,890
from the jaws
of hungry crocodiles.
501
00:27:11,020 --> 00:27:13,893
During the night,
those crocodiles killed
502
00:27:14,023 --> 00:27:16,635
over 500 people.
503
00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:22,466
LESLIE:
It's the classic example
of a crocodile feeding frenzy.
504
00:27:23,729 --> 00:27:25,731
The men who were forced
into the swamp
505
00:27:25,861 --> 00:27:28,690
had wounds,
they were bleeding anyway.
506
00:27:28,821 --> 00:27:30,518
That's a sure sign
for a crocodile
507
00:27:30,649 --> 00:27:32,041
to start attacking,
the smell of blood.
508
00:27:33,652 --> 00:27:36,567
It must have been something
unbelievable to go through.
509
00:27:36,698 --> 00:27:38,657
REAGAN:
I think the situation was
510
00:27:38,787 --> 00:27:41,964
an encroachment of the humans
into the crocodiles' territory.
511
00:27:42,095 --> 00:27:45,446
And the crocodiles were
just seizing an opportunity.
512
00:27:45,576 --> 00:27:47,448
It's like getting a free meal.
513
00:27:47,578 --> 00:27:49,972
You're not gonna turn it down.
514
00:27:50,103 --> 00:27:52,366
SHATNER:
By morning,
less than half of the 1,000
515
00:27:52,496 --> 00:27:56,718
Japanese soldiers who entered
the swamp came out alive.
516
00:27:56,849 --> 00:27:58,720
Because of
the incredible death toll,
517
00:27:58,851 --> 00:28:00,722
the incident at Ramree Island
518
00:28:00,853 --> 00:28:02,985
is considered by some
to be the worst
519
00:28:03,116 --> 00:28:06,641
crocodile attack ever recorded.
520
00:28:06,772 --> 00:28:10,993
It's also a grim reminder
that crocodiles
521
00:28:11,124 --> 00:28:13,866
are one of the deadliest
and oldest
522
00:28:13,996 --> 00:28:16,390
species on the planet.
523
00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,611
Crocodiles have been around
for over 240 million years.
524
00:28:22,439 --> 00:28:25,965
Way before birds, mammals
and modern-day reptiles.
525
00:28:26,095 --> 00:28:29,533
Crocodiles appeared
25 million years
526
00:28:29,664 --> 00:28:32,536
before the dinosaurs and are
their closest living relatives.
527
00:28:32,667 --> 00:28:36,540
They share a lot of
the same features as dinosaurs,
528
00:28:36,671 --> 00:28:40,544
including hip-like arrangements
that you can see in birds,
529
00:28:40,675 --> 00:28:42,851
and they have teeth in sockets,
530
00:28:42,982 --> 00:28:46,072
unlike teeth
that are fused to the jawbone.
531
00:28:48,204 --> 00:28:51,120
Since the very beginning
of our evolution,
532
00:28:51,251 --> 00:28:53,470
we have lived
alongside crocodiles
533
00:28:53,601 --> 00:28:55,734
and have been eaten
by crocodiles throughout.
534
00:28:57,170 --> 00:29:00,042
They're known for their strength
or their ferocity.
535
00:29:01,870 --> 00:29:04,743
And we're really a snack to
some of the larger crocodiles.
536
00:29:06,483 --> 00:29:08,311
SHATNER:
East Africa.
537
00:29:08,442 --> 00:29:12,228
At 410 miles long
and nearly 5,000 feet deep,
538
00:29:12,359 --> 00:29:16,624
Lake Tanganyika on the border
of Tanzania and the Congo is
539
00:29:16,755 --> 00:29:19,845
the longest and second deepest
freshwater lake in the world.
540
00:29:21,150 --> 00:29:23,326
Thousands of people
rely on it to survive,
541
00:29:23,457 --> 00:29:26,590
even though
they are aware of a terror
542
00:29:26,721 --> 00:29:29,158
lurking beneath its surface.
543
00:29:30,856 --> 00:29:36,252
A massive crocodile that the
locals have nicknamed Gustave.
544
00:29:36,383 --> 00:29:40,126
MAXEY:
Gustave is an infamous
Nile crocodile.
545
00:29:40,256 --> 00:29:42,476
He's supposedly over 18 feet
546
00:29:42,606 --> 00:29:45,696
and weighs over 2,000 pounds.
547
00:29:45,827 --> 00:29:47,263
And experts also believe
he's anywhere
548
00:29:47,394 --> 00:29:50,136
from 80 to 90 years old.
549
00:29:50,266 --> 00:29:52,834
He is a prolific man-eater.
550
00:29:54,270 --> 00:29:56,533
These victims were women,
551
00:29:56,664 --> 00:29:58,666
were children, were fishermen.
552
00:30:00,494 --> 00:30:02,670
LESLIE:
Gustave is a killing machine.
553
00:30:02,801 --> 00:30:05,760
Accounts of people
being taken by Gustave
554
00:30:05,891 --> 00:30:08,197
are pretty rife out there
in the villages.
555
00:30:08,328 --> 00:30:10,852
The locals want him dead
because they believed he was
556
00:30:10,983 --> 00:30:13,507
the monster crocodile
that was habituating
557
00:30:13,637 --> 00:30:15,378
that lower section of river
558
00:30:15,509 --> 00:30:17,424
and was responsible
for all those deaths.
559
00:30:17,554 --> 00:30:20,383
He's definitely been
shot at a couple of times.
560
00:30:20,514 --> 00:30:22,124
There's a scar on his head,
and there's another one
561
00:30:22,255 --> 00:30:23,734
between his shoulders.
562
00:30:23,865 --> 00:30:25,780
But what also made
killing him difficult
563
00:30:25,911 --> 00:30:28,914
is that Gustave often
disappeared for months on end.
564
00:30:29,044 --> 00:30:32,004
At one point in time,
nobody saw him for 18 months.
565
00:30:32,134 --> 00:30:35,616
SHATNER:
So far, no one has been able
to capture
566
00:30:35,746 --> 00:30:39,011
or kill this deadly crocodile.
567
00:30:39,141 --> 00:30:41,796
It is estimated that
Gustave is responsible
568
00:30:41,927 --> 00:30:46,888
for killing at least 300 people
between 1987 and 2015.
569
00:30:47,019 --> 00:30:50,152
But, curiously,
it seems that Gustave
570
00:30:50,283 --> 00:30:53,634
doesn't always eat his victims.
571
00:30:53,764 --> 00:30:57,159
According to the locals,
he may hunt humans
572
00:30:57,290 --> 00:31:00,380
simply because he enjoys it.
573
00:31:00,510 --> 00:31:03,426
Gustave has claimed
many, many victims.
574
00:31:03,557 --> 00:31:06,429
More than any other
crocodile in history.
575
00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,823
If you look
at the sheer number of people
576
00:31:08,954 --> 00:31:11,304
that Gustave has killed,
and the fact that he doesn't
577
00:31:11,434 --> 00:31:14,568
always eat his victims,
it's puzzling.
578
00:31:14,698 --> 00:31:16,613
It's almost as if
he's doing it for sport.
579
00:31:18,180 --> 00:31:19,878
LESLIE:
Most villagers think
that Gustave picks on
580
00:31:20,008 --> 00:31:21,488
human beings in particular.
581
00:31:21,618 --> 00:31:23,098
There's rumors about how
582
00:31:23,229 --> 00:31:25,753
he follows
and he stalks his-his prey.
583
00:31:25,884 --> 00:31:28,451
He watches you.
584
00:31:28,582 --> 00:31:31,454
He has a memory--
he knows who's where,
585
00:31:31,585 --> 00:31:33,326
he knows where
the boat ramps are.
586
00:31:33,456 --> 00:31:36,285
We don't hear about many
serial man-eating crocodiles,
587
00:31:36,416 --> 00:31:38,113
so from a scientific
point of view,
588
00:31:38,244 --> 00:31:40,463
it's also a bit of an enigma.
589
00:31:42,378 --> 00:31:45,991
SHATNER:
The last known sighting
of Gustave was in 2015,
590
00:31:46,121 --> 00:31:48,776
but the fear that he will
reemerge from the waters
591
00:31:48,907 --> 00:31:53,302
of Lake Tanganyika has kept
authorities on constant alert,
592
00:31:53,433 --> 00:31:55,739
in the hope that
they can capture Gustave
593
00:31:55,870 --> 00:31:59,395
before he kills again.
594
00:32:01,093 --> 00:32:03,834
LESLIE:
None of us know if
Gustave is actually still alive.
595
00:32:03,965 --> 00:32:07,403
He's so famous that if
he had died or been killed,
596
00:32:07,534 --> 00:32:10,624
somebody would have had
that skin or had that skeleton
597
00:32:10,754 --> 00:32:12,887
or taken
some photos or something.
598
00:32:13,018 --> 00:32:16,847
So I wouldn't be surprised
if he's still out there.
599
00:32:16,978 --> 00:32:20,590
The idea that
a 2,000-pound crocodile
600
00:32:20,721 --> 00:32:22,766
enjoys attacking humans
601
00:32:22,897 --> 00:32:24,899
is frightening,
to say the least.
602
00:32:25,030 --> 00:32:28,555
But in Russia, many believe
it was a darker motivation
603
00:32:28,685 --> 00:32:32,080
that caused a fearsome tiger
to take a human life.
604
00:32:32,211 --> 00:32:35,083
Because this predator
may have killed its victim
605
00:32:35,214 --> 00:32:37,868
as an act of revenge.
606
00:32:46,616 --> 00:32:49,837
SHATNER:
In the cold, unforgiving
forests of eastern Siberia,
607
00:32:49,968 --> 00:32:52,883
a local hunter named
Vladimir Markov discovers
608
00:32:53,014 --> 00:32:54,711
the bloody carcass
of a wild boar
609
00:32:54,842 --> 00:32:56,539
lying half-eaten in the snow.
610
00:32:58,193 --> 00:33:01,153
He instantly realizes
he's in great danger,
611
00:33:01,283 --> 00:33:03,938
because he has just stumbled
upon a fresh kill
612
00:33:04,069 --> 00:33:07,028
made by one of Russia's
most dangerous predators.
613
00:33:08,290 --> 00:33:10,989
The Siberian tiger.
614
00:33:11,119 --> 00:33:13,817
McCANN:
At the point
where Vladimir Markov realized
615
00:33:13,948 --> 00:33:16,820
that he was coming upon
a tiger's kill, he knew that
616
00:33:16,951 --> 00:33:19,171
the tiger will still be there,
because it'll still feed
617
00:33:19,301 --> 00:33:21,347
upon that kill until
there's nothing left to feed on.
618
00:33:21,477 --> 00:33:23,958
So if he doesn't shoot
that tiger first,
619
00:33:24,089 --> 00:33:26,004
the tiger will kill him.
620
00:33:26,134 --> 00:33:28,789
So it was a case for him
of "kill or be killed."
621
00:33:30,399 --> 00:33:32,488
SHATNER:
As the tiger approached Markov
to defend its kill,
622
00:33:32,619 --> 00:33:34,751
-he fired his rifle.
-[gunshot]
623
00:33:34,882 --> 00:33:37,319
But only wounded the angry cat.
624
00:33:37,450 --> 00:33:40,279
Injured, the tiger retreated
back into the forest.
625
00:33:40,409 --> 00:33:44,457
But that's not
the end of the story.
626
00:33:46,154 --> 00:33:48,113
Because two days later, the
local authorities were informed
627
00:33:48,243 --> 00:33:50,724
that Markov had been
attacked and killed
628
00:33:50,854 --> 00:33:53,466
at his home by a vicious tiger.
629
00:33:54,902 --> 00:33:57,687
When investigators arrived
at Markov's log cabin,
630
00:33:57,818 --> 00:34:01,430
they found a disturbing scene.
631
00:34:02,649 --> 00:34:04,129
[man speaking Russian]
632
00:34:04,259 --> 00:34:06,479
It's pretty remarkable
seeing the images.
633
00:34:06,609 --> 00:34:09,743
There was obviously
quite a lot of blood.
634
00:34:09,873 --> 00:34:11,701
The clothes
are tattered everywhere.
635
00:34:13,399 --> 00:34:17,229
Often, when tigers kill people,
it's not necessarily for food.
636
00:34:17,359 --> 00:34:20,188
But in Markov's case,
the tiger ate everything
637
00:34:20,319 --> 00:34:21,798
it possibly could of him.
638
00:34:21,929 --> 00:34:24,062
It wanted to leave
no trace of the man.
639
00:34:24,192 --> 00:34:27,282
The strangest part
of the Vladimir Markov story
640
00:34:27,413 --> 00:34:30,416
is the fact that the tiger
actively destroyed
641
00:34:30,546 --> 00:34:33,723
everything around that lodge
that had Vladimir's scent on it.
642
00:34:33,854 --> 00:34:37,684
Just destroyed it
in seemingly a fit of anger.
643
00:34:39,555 --> 00:34:41,992
SHATNER:
But even more unsettling than
the gruesome killing itself
644
00:34:42,123 --> 00:34:44,995
was the fact that investigators
later determined
645
00:34:45,126 --> 00:34:47,302
that Markov was eaten
by the same tiger
646
00:34:47,433 --> 00:34:50,218
he had shot with his rifle.
647
00:34:52,655 --> 00:34:54,831
McCANN:
The tiger tracked Vladimir
back to his hunting lodge,
648
00:34:54,962 --> 00:34:58,096
a distance of 11 kilometers.
649
00:34:58,226 --> 00:35:00,098
And then it waited.
650
00:35:00,228 --> 00:35:01,534
That is what is remarkable.
651
00:35:01,664 --> 00:35:04,058
It waited, we think,
652
00:35:04,189 --> 00:35:06,930
around 48 hours
for him to return to that lodge.
653
00:35:07,061 --> 00:35:09,890
And then when Vladimir returned,
654
00:35:10,020 --> 00:35:12,110
it killed him.
655
00:35:13,763 --> 00:35:16,288
SHATNER:
The story of Vladimir Markov's
death at the hands
656
00:35:16,418 --> 00:35:18,464
of a deadly tiger
is frightening,
657
00:35:18,594 --> 00:35:21,902
but it's also mysterious.
658
00:35:22,032 --> 00:35:24,339
Because while animals
will naturally defend themselves
659
00:35:24,470 --> 00:35:28,648
when attacked,
this tiger tracked Markov down
660
00:35:28,778 --> 00:35:30,954
over an unusually long distance.
661
00:35:31,955 --> 00:35:34,219
But why?
662
00:35:34,349 --> 00:35:37,091
Big predators will kill
smaller predators
663
00:35:37,222 --> 00:35:39,920
with which they compete,
and there's a long history
664
00:35:40,050 --> 00:35:42,052
of human competition
with predators.
665
00:35:43,315 --> 00:35:45,447
So it's possible
the tiger was viewing this
666
00:35:45,578 --> 00:35:47,710
as competition, and I want
to get rid of a competitor
667
00:35:47,841 --> 00:35:50,017
because this is
a threat to my livelihood.
668
00:35:50,148 --> 00:35:53,151
So don't steal food from tigers,
669
00:35:53,281 --> 00:35:56,023
is the lesson that stands out
from Markov's story.
670
00:35:57,633 --> 00:35:59,940
SHATNER:
Did the tiger kill Markov
because it viewed him
671
00:36:00,070 --> 00:36:03,030
as a threat to its survival?
Perhaps.
672
00:36:03,161 --> 00:36:06,076
But there are those who believe
that it was motivated
673
00:36:06,207 --> 00:36:09,079
not by self-preservation
674
00:36:09,210 --> 00:36:12,605
but rather by a desire
to exact revenge.
675
00:36:14,041 --> 00:36:16,348
MAXEY:
You can't look
at this story of Vladimir
676
00:36:16,478 --> 00:36:19,002
and not think that
this is a story of vengeance.
677
00:36:19,133 --> 00:36:22,267
The tiger stalked
Vladimir's cabin.
678
00:36:22,397 --> 00:36:26,575
It waited for Vladimir
to return home for the attack.
679
00:36:26,706 --> 00:36:28,838
Everything here
points to premeditation.
680
00:36:30,971 --> 00:36:34,061
You look at other instances,
you see attacks
681
00:36:34,192 --> 00:36:35,976
with tigers
who will seek vengeance
682
00:36:36,106 --> 00:36:37,934
on people they don't like.
683
00:36:38,065 --> 00:36:40,459
These animals can feel
these emotions.
684
00:36:41,982 --> 00:36:44,637
BLUMSTEIN:
All animals have
neurochemical responses
685
00:36:44,767 --> 00:36:48,206
which are remarkably similar
across all sorts of species.
686
00:36:48,336 --> 00:36:53,167
They feel emotions or feelings
that influence behavior
687
00:36:53,298 --> 00:36:54,908
exactly the same as we do.
688
00:36:56,257 --> 00:36:58,433
McCANN:
You do not mess with a tiger.
689
00:36:58,564 --> 00:37:01,654
If you do that,
it's gonna come after you.
690
00:37:01,784 --> 00:37:05,048
Markov will have known
that when he shot that tiger
691
00:37:05,179 --> 00:37:08,791
and it didn't die,
he knew that his time was up.
692
00:37:08,922 --> 00:37:12,055
This tiger had the ability
to hold a grudge
693
00:37:12,186 --> 00:37:14,493
with a single individual
694
00:37:14,623 --> 00:37:17,191
for over 48 hours
and then take its revenge.
695
00:37:18,540 --> 00:37:21,151
We have taken dominion
over nature in many ways
696
00:37:21,282 --> 00:37:24,416
because of
our technological developments,
697
00:37:24,546 --> 00:37:26,635
but we are still
a part of nature,
698
00:37:26,766 --> 00:37:29,682
and we are still
occasionally on the menu
699
00:37:29,812 --> 00:37:31,988
of bigger and stronger animals,
such as tigers.
700
00:37:33,816 --> 00:37:36,428
It's chilling to think
that a tiger could actually
701
00:37:36,558 --> 00:37:41,041
have a vendetta, a score
to settle, with human beings.
702
00:37:41,171 --> 00:37:44,305
But not all animals
see humans as adversaries.
703
00:37:44,436 --> 00:37:47,439
For example,
there's a region in India
704
00:37:47,569 --> 00:37:50,442
where people
and man-eating lions
705
00:37:50,572 --> 00:37:53,183
have joined forces.
706
00:38:01,583 --> 00:38:05,239
SHATNER:
These lush woodlands
are home to the Asiatic lion,
707
00:38:05,370 --> 00:38:07,197
one of the rarest predators
on Earth.
708
00:38:08,547 --> 00:38:11,201
Though less than 700
of these majestic cats
709
00:38:11,332 --> 00:38:13,900
remain in the wild,
they often cross paths
710
00:38:14,030 --> 00:38:17,425
with the local residents,
whose farms border the forest.
711
00:38:18,992 --> 00:38:21,255
But, curiously, instead
of coming into conflict
712
00:38:21,386 --> 00:38:23,518
with these dangerous predators,
713
00:38:23,649 --> 00:38:27,435
the farmers appear to have
formed an alliance with them.
714
00:38:29,045 --> 00:38:31,047
MAXEY:
There is
an overabundance of deer
715
00:38:31,178 --> 00:38:33,049
in India, and the deer
at night will come
716
00:38:33,180 --> 00:38:34,877
and eat the farmers' crops.
717
00:38:36,966 --> 00:38:41,014
So the farmers have teamed up
with the local Asiatic lions.
718
00:38:41,144 --> 00:38:45,584
The farmers, trying to scare
the deer off, make a noise.
719
00:38:45,714 --> 00:38:47,803
[farmer calling]
720
00:38:49,544 --> 00:38:51,894
And the lions quickly
have learned
721
00:38:52,025 --> 00:38:54,854
that that noise means
that deer are in the area.
722
00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:00,076
So the lions end up
killing the deer.
723
00:39:03,602 --> 00:39:07,475
This is something that has
never really been documented
724
00:39:07,606 --> 00:39:11,349
where lions and humans
are working together.
725
00:39:12,785 --> 00:39:15,222
SHATNER:
Asiatic lions are
notorious man-eaters
726
00:39:15,353 --> 00:39:17,572
and have even been known
to drag people
727
00:39:17,703 --> 00:39:19,792
from their homes and kill them.
728
00:39:21,184 --> 00:39:24,492
So how is this
mutually beneficial arrangement
729
00:39:24,623 --> 00:39:26,581
between man and lion possible?
730
00:39:27,843 --> 00:39:31,543
Well, as it turns out,
these lions behave
731
00:39:31,673 --> 00:39:35,460
the same way any household cat
would when it's dinnertime.
732
00:39:35,590 --> 00:39:37,810
[farmer calling]
733
00:39:37,940 --> 00:39:39,899
DeSANTIS:
Lions are very clever,
and in this sort of symbiotic
734
00:39:40,029 --> 00:39:43,119
relationship with them
and humans,
735
00:39:43,250 --> 00:39:45,208
they're essentially able
to learn that humans
736
00:39:45,339 --> 00:39:48,995
are providing them notification
that there are prey available.
737
00:39:49,125 --> 00:39:50,910
It's essentially
like ringing a dinner bell,
738
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:53,391
um, for these lions.
739
00:39:53,521 --> 00:39:56,872
And so they've learned not
to attack humans in most cases.
740
00:39:57,003 --> 00:40:01,442
And there's amazing footage
of people sitting down,
741
00:40:01,573 --> 00:40:05,707
relaxing just
a few feet from lions.
742
00:40:07,448 --> 00:40:10,451
SHATNER:
The cooperation between
Indian farmers and Asiatic lions
743
00:40:10,582 --> 00:40:13,715
is proof that,
in the right circumstances,
744
00:40:13,846 --> 00:40:18,328
humans and deadly predators
can be friends instead of foes.
745
00:40:19,591 --> 00:40:22,637
But experts warn
that we shouldn't
746
00:40:22,768 --> 00:40:26,641
let down our guard when in
the presence of wild animals.
747
00:40:27,903 --> 00:40:30,558
Seeing these farmers
walking and living
748
00:40:30,689 --> 00:40:34,388
amongst these lions,
it completely blows my mind.
749
00:40:34,519 --> 00:40:36,825
Now, could the tables turn
at any moment?
750
00:40:36,956 --> 00:40:39,001
Absolutely.
751
00:40:39,132 --> 00:40:43,484
These are still wild animals
with instincts.
752
00:40:43,615 --> 00:40:45,268
I would say these
animals still need to be
753
00:40:45,399 --> 00:40:46,574
treated with a lot of respect.
754
00:40:48,707 --> 00:40:50,622
McCANN:
Human beings like
to think of themselves
755
00:40:50,752 --> 00:40:53,363
as above the rest
of the animal kingdom
756
00:40:53,494 --> 00:40:55,540
because we've
innovated ourselves
757
00:40:55,670 --> 00:40:57,977
out of nature
in many, many ways.
758
00:40:59,282 --> 00:41:01,937
But when faced with a predator,
759
00:41:02,068 --> 00:41:06,028
without the benefit
of technology such as weaponry,
760
00:41:06,159 --> 00:41:08,857
the predator
just sees us as food.
761
00:41:08,988 --> 00:41:11,077
Essentially,
our pecking order is not
762
00:41:11,207 --> 00:41:12,600
necessarily
the top of the food chain.
763
00:41:12,731 --> 00:41:14,863
And, you know,
764
00:41:14,994 --> 00:41:17,039
we are a part
of the natural community.
765
00:41:18,345 --> 00:41:20,303
We can be prey.
We can be predators.
766
00:41:20,434 --> 00:41:22,697
It depends on the situation.
767
00:41:22,828 --> 00:41:26,005
But ultimately,
we can succumb to a crocodile,
768
00:41:26,135 --> 00:41:27,963
to a lion,
769
00:41:28,094 --> 00:41:29,704
to a tiger at any moment.
770
00:41:32,054 --> 00:41:35,493
Is it possible for humans
and dangerous animals
771
00:41:35,623 --> 00:41:38,017
to peacefully coexist?
772
00:41:38,147 --> 00:41:40,062
It's certainly
an optimistic thought.
773
00:41:41,586 --> 00:41:43,631
But let's not forget,
animals are driven by the same
774
00:41:43,762 --> 00:41:47,896
instincts that we are:
hunger, fear, even revenge.
775
00:41:48,027 --> 00:41:51,291
And if a deadly predator
decides that it's out for blood,
776
00:41:51,421 --> 00:41:53,467
there's not much
that we can do to stop it.
777
00:41:53,598 --> 00:41:56,644
Which is why
some creatures will remain
778
00:41:56,775 --> 00:41:58,907
wild, unpredictable and...
779
00:41:59,038 --> 00:42:00,866
unexplained.
780
00:42:00,996 --> 00:42:02,215
CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY
A+E NETWORKS