Croc Wise

The Africa Edition

Crocodylus niloticus — the Nile crocodile

Living safely with the deadliest crocodilian on earth.

Know the Animal

“The Nile crocodile ranges far beyond the Nile — across almost all of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. By the grim measure of human deaths, it is the most dangerous crocodilian alive.”

The Perfect Ambush

“Eyes and nostrils above the waterline; everything else gone. A Nile crocodile can lie motionless for hours, reading the bank — and the one you never see is the one that has already been watching you.”

Myths That Get People Killed

““Make noise and they’ll leave.” The most dangerous belief on the water — because crocodiles are drawn to vibration, not frightened by it.”

The Attacks

“Hundreds die each year, and the true toll is higher still. Behind every number is a person who went to the water because they had no other choice.”

Nile crocodiles on the Zambezi.

Why the Crocodile Matters

“A keystone predator, not a monster to be removed from a tidied-up world. Culling does not save lives; education, infrastructure and respect do.”

Living Alongside the Crocodile

“Give the Nile crocodile the respect that two hundred million years have earned — and build the world in which people and wildlife can both live.”

A fisherman on the river, and Kevin McCurley of Citadel Culebra beside a giant Nile crocodile — living alongside the crocodile.