There are some that are afraid of sharks, big whites, tiger sharks or even dog sharks.. However, even more sinister, is the croc!

Since the time we were tiny, alone in our beds in the night, giant crocs have haunted our dreams, and we always end up waking up in a cold sweat after a croc tries to wrap its jaws around you.

Whatever the shrinks might say about these dreams, going on a volunteer mission to try and come face to face with a monster croc is not the world’s brightest idea.

Two weeks ago Herbie Harold discovered huge crocodile slide marks and claw prints just up the way from the Gulf of Carpentaria township of Normanton. Tie in the fact that the town pastor, Elton Thompson, has also seen this huge croc, and put photos up on his facebook, and you have the makings of a croc hunting adventure!

The croc was a real whopper, coming in at 8 meters in length, and is quickly capturing the attention of the nation.

So now there was someone to lead us to the croc, and someone to give the last rites.

Generally speaking, if a priest is wielding a foot long dagger in his belt, it’s usually cause for concern. However, when you are tracking a huge croc, it’s overlooked.

The journey begins by heading out to the favorite fishing haunt of Herbie, a small area on the banks of the Norman River. The markings of its claws can still be seen, and are small compared to the priest’s size fourteen shoes.

There is no croc to be seen though, so that night our intrepid interlopers head back in a 3.8 meter dinghy, just large nough to fit the tail of the monster croc they seek.

So, there is a large croc out there, the question is… Where is it??

Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest lake and the world’s largest tropical lake, has long been plighted by environmental problems caused by pollution and exotic species being introduced to the lake. On of the most well know of these problems was the introduction of Nile perch to the lake; a large predatory fish that all but wiped out the lakes wide variety of native, endemic species.

Moses Kabuusu, Member of Parliament for Kyamuswa country in Kalangala district, has now expressed concerns about another problem developing in the area. According to him the amount of fish in the lake has now become so low that crocodiles are increasingly looking at humans as food. The number of croc attacks on humans has indeed increased in Kalangala, but it is hard to tell whether this is due to less fish being present or if there are other reasons that have increased the number of attacks on humans.

Kabuusu warns people about spending time in the water due to the rampant problem of humans being eaten by crocodiles and adds that it is mostly people swimming in the lake and women getting water in the lake that are being hunted by crocodiles.

He has requested help by the Uganda Wild Authority.

Lake victoria beach.

A 25 year old worshipper was killed and eaten by a crocodile in Bangladesh last week. The death took place in a pond next to a shrine and the man was seeking the crocodiles blessing when he was killed.

The man had travelled 50 km to visit the shrine with his mother. The shrine is an important religious place for Muslims in the area. The Khan Jahan Ali shrine is a place where visitors offers hens and goats to the five crocodiles that lives in the pond. Many worshippers bath in the pond as a part of the ritual and the crocodiles seldom injure worshippers although accidents have happened in the past as well although they are rare. The man was making his way into the water to get blessed when the crocodile attacked him and dragged him into the deep parts of the pond.

Numerous other worshippers (around 25) jumped into the pond and tried to find the man. They were unsuccessful and the body of the man was found a few days later when it floated up the surface. Large parts of the body had been eaten.

The crocodiles are apparently normally very friendly.

It should be mentioned that the sacrificing of hens and goats to crocodile is not a part of mainstream Islamic fait and only a small percentage of Muslims do this.