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The worst attack of crocodiles on people in history occurred a few months before the end of World War II - on February 19, 1945.

Japanese don't go into the jungle

More than one thousand Japanese soldiers died in the terrible and terrible hot Burmese swamps.

Reason mass death It was not fierce battles with the enemy at all, but attacks by combed crocodiles, which are found in abundance in these places.

Operation Matador began on January 14, 1945. British troops from the 29th Indian Infantry Division landed on almost Paradise Island Ramri.

The goal of the operation was to capture the port and airfield located in the north of this Burmese island, captured by the Japanese army.

Of course, a Japanese garrison was already waiting for the British troops on Ramri. But the British attacked quite successfully, during land battles and with the support of ships, they gradually pushed the Japanese inland.

Captivity for salvation

The fighting only stopped on February 17, when the Japanese themselves went south to join the Allied forces.

The path there passed through a swampy area, and the British military did not have uniforms not only for fighting, but generally for being in such conditions. Therefore, the British did not pursue the enemy.

Although there is a well-founded version that they specifically allowed the Japanese garrison to retreat into these mangrove swamps. From the very beginning, Japanese soldiers there were regularly attacked by other enemies - snakes, mosquitoes, scorpions and other creatures.

However, on the night of February 19, they were attacked by a much more terrible large and terrible enemy - crocodiles. As a result, almost 1 thousand people were eaten by voracious reptiles in just one night.

Only 22 soldiers and three officers remained alive, whom the brave British immediately captured, to the great joy of the captives.

At night - only sounds

This was a terrible event for them, perhaps the worst of all such mass contacts with predators in the entire history of mankind.

At night, the surviving soldiers heard only terrible sounds, but the next morning a terrible picture appeared before them.

In the black slurry of the swamps, the bloody parts of the bodies of their comrades floated, which were pecked by vultures. It was clear that many of them were crushed or eaten alive.

This crocodile attack was included in the Guinness Book of Records, calling it the worst reptile disaster that has ever happened in the world.

By the way, combed crocodiles were already well known as the most aggressive and dangerous animals. They tear apart a buffalo's skull in a few seconds.

This misconception is replicated not only by guides, but also by various travel sites. I quote one of them: “...the Chao Phraya River is still flowing - muddy, with yellow water, very wide. Crocodiles in this river are not a rare phenomenon, quite the contrary. According to statistics, up to 20 people die from their teeth every year in Bangkok.”

Scary? Will you now not ride along the Chao Phraya River on river trams? Do not be afraid. This is outright nonsense.

I don’t know who invented all this. There are no such statistics in nature. Perhaps one of the Russian tourists or guides, being slightly (or moderately) intoxicated, saw a two-meter monitor lizard in the Chao Phraya River, mistook it for a crocodile and away we go. Rumors spread quickly and acquire new details as they spread. And now, referring to statistics, you can scare tourists: “Crocodiles eat twenty people in a year in Bangkok!”

I repeat once again - there are no such statistics. Or it exists only in the fevered imagination of the one who came up with it. Crocodiles in Bangkok do not eat people; on the contrary, people in Bangkok eat crocodiles in restaurants.

It must be said that it is impossible to find reliable data on how many people a year are eaten by crocodiles around the world on the Russian-language Internet. There is a lot of yellowish information about man-eating crocodiles in the spirit of horror films (“Crocodile Gustav ate 300 people in Burundi”, “In Uganda, a crocodile destroyed a third of a fishing village”). But there is no scientific data at all.

At the same time, such data is available on the English-language Internet. And you can familiarize yourself with them. And find out that most of the attacks by crocodiles on people are in Africa, where the evil and terrible Nile crocodile rampages.

But oddly enough, the much larger saltwater crocodile (which lives in Southeast Asia) is responsible for only 20-30 attacks on people per year. And this is throughout its entire habitat from India to Australia. Each such attack is recorded. But for some reason, Bangkok residents eaten by crocodiles are not included in these statistics at all.

I note that sometimes crocodiles end up in the Chao Phraya River. This happens when they escape from the farms where they are bred. Such cases are periodically recorded during the rainy season, when crocodile farms are flooded. The flood of 2011 was especially memorable in this regard. 120 saltwater crocodiles have escaped from a farm in Nonthaburi province. Their attacks on children were recorded. The fugitives were caught by the military, professional crocodile hunters and volunteer detachments. The reptiles that escaped were returned to their place.

Let me summarize. Rumors that crocodiles live in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, eating 20 people a year, are a misconception spread by illiterate guides and authors of Internet sites. However, swimming in this river is not recommended. But not because they live in it scary predators- combed crocodiles. But because the water in it is very polluted.

Humans are not part of the regular diet of alligators and crocodiles, but are often their victims. Crocodiles are more dangerous than sharks and kill people 100 times more often. How to survive an attack by a crocodile and an alligator?

Many people are afraid of sharks, but underestimate the risks posed by crocodiles and alligators. There are significantly fewer fatalities from shark attacks. Crocodiles kill between 1,000 and 2,000 people a year. In Africa, statistics are poorly kept, so the exact number of deaths from reptiles is unknown.

What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?

Crocodiles are larger than alligators and more aggressive. They can reach up to 7 meters in length, while alligators are no more than 4 meters. Crocodiles have a long and narrow snout (V-shaped), while alligators have a flattened and blunt snout (U-shaped). Crocodiles can live in salt water, but alligators can only live in fresh water. Crocodiles live in Africa, Australia, America and Asia, and alligators live only in America and China.

Which crocodiles and alligators attack most often?

In first place in terms of attacks is the Nile crocodile. Dangerous combed, marsh and sharp-snouted crocodile. The black caiman also often attacks people.

Who is more dangerous, a crocodile or an alligator?

Alligators feed on fish, birds, turtles and other reptiles. They rarely consider humans as prey and attack only when as a last resort. But not crocodiles. They already view a person as a victim and are very dangerous.

Which crocodiles and alligators are dangerous?

Mortal danger comes from any reptile over 1.5 meters and weighing more than 30 kg. The powerful jaw allows even small individuals to tear the prey into pieces and then eat.

When are crocodiles most dangerous?

90% of attacks on people occur between November and May. At this time, they guard their territory and protect young offspring. During this period, it is better to refrain from visiting reptile habitats.

Where can crocodiles attack?

Stay away from areas where reptiles live. 90% of attacks occur in or near water. Crocodiles prefer stagnant or slowly flowing water, where there is a lot of mud and dirt. Crocodiles can live in lakes, rivers, canals and even the sea.

How to avoid being attacked by a crocodile?

• Pay attention to signs that warn of the presence of dangerous reptiles.
• Do not swim in places where there is no designated swimming area. This can be a dangerous place.
• Do not walk your dog in areas where crocodiles may live.
• Don't let children walk near the water alone. Crocodiles prefer small targets.
• Do not pitch your tent closer than 50 meters from the water or less than 2 meters above the water.
• Don't lean over the water, because crocodiles can jump out of it.
• Don't go near a crocodile or alligator's nest.

At what time do crocodiles attack most often?

Crocodiles can attack at any time, but most often they act at night and at dusk. Stay away from the water and use a flashlight or headlights to illuminate the area.

What to do if you are in the water with a crocodile?

Did the boat capsize, start swimming in a dangerous place, or fall into the water? Get out immediately. Don't scream, splash or flounder. This will attract the attention of crocodiles. Get out of the water as quickly as possible. You can dive and swim underwater to make less noise.

What to do if you spot a crocodile?

Did you notice a crocodile from afar? Remain calm and silently retreat to a safe place. Do not turn your back on the reptile, you may miss the moment when it decides to attack. Did the crocodile jump into the water when he saw your boat? Most likely he got scared and wants to wait in the water until you disappear from sight. But it's better to swim away as quickly as possible.

How to run away from a crocodile?

If the distance between you is less than 5 meters, then you need to immediately and very quickly run away. Crocodiles are very fast, but only over short distances. You should not try to run away in zigzags, because crocodiles are much more agile, and your speed will be low. The speed of crocodiles is 17 km per hour on land, and humans can run faster. Run away as quickly as possible with all your might, but avoid bumping into another reptile.

If you are attacked by a crocodile or alligator, then this is not the end. About 45% of the reptile's victims were able to survive after giving it a real fight.

WITHfucks associated with shark attacks,Nowcooler than those that are floating around much more dangerous predators, crocodiles.M Meanwhile, they cause much more harm than sharks. And their appearance is more terrible. African guide Hendrik Coetzee, who led kayak expeditions in the Congo, was recently eaten by a crocodile in front of two horrified tourists.

A crocodile attacked Coetzee on a river in the Congo. After the attack and the terrible death of the guide, two stunned American tourists were transported to the nearest city. No remains of 35-year-old Hendrik Coetzee, who lived in Uganda, have been found. Apparently, the crocodile swallowed the guide whole, without leaving a trace, and didn’t even choke. Reports of this incident are as terrible as they are hopeless: according to experts, while it is possible to somehow fight off a shark attack, it is much more difficult to escape from a swift crocodile attack. This is confirmed by statistics.

Around the world, 15 people become victims of sharks every year. 200 people die from encounters with hippos, 250 are killed by elephants, 1,250 die from bee stings, and encounters with crocodiles end tragically for 2,500 people. It is not difficult to calculate that crocodiles are 168 times more dangerous than sharks! By the way, in fact, the most sinister killers are mosquitoes - as many as two million people die from their bites. But then mosquitoes... Here are just a few cases of crocodile robbery that the press has reported on recently.

At the end of August, a small African plane crashed in the Republic of Congo, carrying out a regular flight from the capital of Congo, Kinshasa, to Bandunda. The crash killed 20 people, including the owner of the airline, 62-year-old Belgian Daniel Filmot, who personally piloted the aircraft. There were no obvious technical problems that could have caused the plane to crash. It was suggested that the pilots failed to land the first time, after which the fuel ran out and the plane crashed to the ground.

As the British newspaper Daily Telegraph reported, the only surviving passenger, hospitalized in critical condition in one of the local hospitals, spoke about the causes of the tragedy. As it turned out, there was a crocodile on board the plane. One of the passengers on the flight was transporting the reptile in a sports bag, intending to sell it. During the flight, the animal escaped, causing panic in the aircraft cabin.

The plane lost its balance and began to fall. Having not reached a couple of kilometers from the runway, the plane crashed into a residential building, which at that moment was empty by chance. The report of the commission that investigated the incident states: “the frightened flight attendant rushed into the cockpit, followed by the passengers. Despite the desperate efforts of the pilot, the plane lost balance.”

In August, at the Aquatoria theater of marine animals and dolphins in Yalta, a crocodile bit a three-year-old child who came with his parents on vacation from the Belarusian Brest. The boy received numerous injuries - amputation of the fourth finger of his left hand, incomplete separation of the third finger, fracture of the metacarpal bones, lacerations from the teeth of a crocodile.

Twenty-five-year-old US citizen Lauren Failla was vacationing with her friend in the Indian-owned Andaman Islands. One day she disappeared while swimming underwater. The remains of her body were found with horrific lacerations two days later, the Associated Press reported. Local authorities confirmed that she was killed by a crocodile.

In the town of Broome in northwestern Australia, a five-meter saltwater crocodile in a local park wildlife bit a tipsy 36-year-old man who tried to ride him. The crocodile behaved aggressively and bit the man on the right leg. The man received a serious laceration, but was still able to escape from the park and return to the pub, whose staff called an ambulance. The failed rider was hospitalized and operated on.

In the Mexican resort of Cancun, a crocodile attacked an American tourist when he tried to relieve himself in the water of the lagoon. After the attack, the young man was taken to hospital with multiple bite wounds on his leg and neck. He also suffered a head injury when the reptile hit him on the ground.

In Angola, crocodile attacks have killed at least nine children in just a few days. Angolan National Radio reported that the children who died were between 10 and 16 years old and fell prey to the merciless reptiles when they came to the Keve River to get water.

The crocodile attack continues. And, apparently, such messages will end only when the entire genus of crocodiles disappears from the planet...