Crocodile That Killed Over 80 People Captured

KAMPALA, Uganda (March 8) - A 16-foot crocodile said to have eaten more
than 80 people has been caught alive in Uganda and transferred to a
sanctuary, officials said Tuesday.

Reuters
An official from the Ugandan Wildlife Authority steps over the killer
crocodile at a farm in Buwama on Tuesday.

The giant beast -- weighing about a ton -- was captured by wildlife
experts who spent three nights camping in the bush before locating
their target.

Residents told local media the crocodile killed 83 people over the last
two decades, mostly fishermen plying their trade on Lake Victoria off
the shores of Bugiri district.

''Much as the residents of Luganga wanted to kill the reptile after our
rangers had captured it, it is our responsibility to protect it by
removing it from that area and keeping it in a safe place,'' Uganda
Wildlife Authority (UWA) spokeswoman Lillian Nsubuga told Reuters.

The beast - reportedly more than 60 years old -- was trapped using
ropes and transported by pick-up truck to Buwama crocodile farm west of
the capital Kampala.

The state-owned New Vision newspaper said it ''roared'' as it was
released into a holding ground at the farm Monday.

Crocodiles sometimes attack and kill villagers collecting water or
fishing in Lake Victoria, Africa's biggest lake.

Experts say most attacks are triggered as humans getting too close, and
the crocodiles are protecting their territory.