PICS: Fishermen stumble across massive 5,4m crocodile

Two fishermen caught more than they bargained for after stumbling across a massive 5,4 meter long crocodile at the Flag Boshielo Dam near Marble Hall.

Rikus Muller often fishes in the dam and recalls that he saw something drifting in the water resembling a tree stump while fishing with a friend last Friday, the Review Online reports.

“I am an inquisitive person and wanted to get closer to see what it was,” Muller said. “When we got closer, we saw that it was a dead crocodile.”

He said they made sure it was dead and took a photo of one of the animal’s feet to compare it with his hand.

He showed the picture to his friend, Martin Theunissen, and the next day they went searching for the carcass.

“We found it and dragged it to shore with the boat to take some photos. Afterwards we dragged it back into the dam so that nature could take its course,” Muller said.

While Muller could not say what lead to the animal’s death, pictures posted on social media subsequently showed that the crocodile had fishing nets in its stomach.

This article first appeared on Review Online in Afrikaans and has been republished with permission.