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About the Museum
The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoaxipedia (the museum's online encyclopedia of hoaxes), the Hoax Forum, and the Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes.

The museum was created in 1997 by Alex Boese. He's assisted by a staff of deputy curators and docents. Alex is the author of three books, most recently Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments (which has nothing to do with hoaxes). Check out the list of the Top 20 Most Bizarre Experiments of All Time for a preview.


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Monster Crocodile in New Orleans
Michael Maffei sent me some giant crocodile pictures that have begun doing the rounds. They're accompanied by this caption:

Now this is a Crocodile ! This crocodile was found in New Orleans swimming down the street. 21 FT long, 4,500 lbs, around 80 years old minimum. Specialists said that he was looking to eat humans because he was too old to catch animals. This crocodile was killed by the army last Sunday at 3:00 pm, currently he is in the freezer at the Azur hotel. The contents of it's stomach will be analyzed this Friday at 2:30pm.

The pictures are real enough, but they're weren't taken in New Orleans. These are pictures of the Monster Crocodile of Pointe-Noire (in the Republic of the Congo). They've been circulating for over two years. David Emery notes that the crocodile was really estimated to be 16 feet long and weighed about 1874 lbs. That's still a lot bigger than I'd ever care to encounter.

image image image
Posted By: Alex | Date: Fri Sep 16, 2005 | Permalink | Total Comments: 129
Category: Animals, Photos/Videos
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 2 of 7 pages  <  1 2 3 4 >  Last »
It is a shame that some people do not have a life that is important to them. It is not funny to send phoney emails. "The old saying is phoney is as phoney does". Get a life pal or better yet, get a crocodile.
Posted by Preciousg  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  08:37 AM
There is a small chance that the endangered American Crocodile could be living in New Orleans. However, it is a smaller species than the saltwater or Nile crocs.
Another way to tell that it's a hoax is that the length and weight of the animal don't add up. Last year, PBS had an one hour special on a killer Nile Crocodile in Africa. They estimated the Crocodile to be at least 20 feet long and weighs a ton (2000lbs). It's very unlikely that a 21 footer will weigh more than twice as much as a 20 footer.
Posted by Q  in  Ohio  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  09:14 AM
Danger, Danger, Danger.
Posted by Javier Manzano  in  San Antonio, TX  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  11:22 AM
The majority population may not notice this, but the men in the photo are Africans. One can tell by the style of the clothes and footwear.
Posted by trstar  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  12:12 PM
The middle pic shows a SAND bank in the background. There is no sand in New Orleans, and if there was, it would have been washed away in the flooding.
Posted by Big Daddy Stizzle  in  Chicago  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  12:33 PM
Plus, the 80 & 90 on the back of the truck are Kilometre per hour maximum speeds. Meant fo' europe or africa.
Posted by aiiiiiit  in  n.o  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  02:03 PM
What does baggy pants and side ways baseball caps have to do with anything.
Posted by AJ  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  02:26 PM
The crock only eats dudes with baggy pants and sideways baseball caps...I was wondering where he went to...anyone up for Burgers when I thaw his @ss out?
Posted by Pflight400  in  I Da Ho  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  05:09 PM
The croc is a Nile Croc (umm... I guess it's range still doesn't include south LA); this species kills and eats lots of humans in Africa every year; the photo is also from Africa: the people, the truck, and the licence plates

But... an excellent photo of a croc; many lack a good perspective shot so one can appreciate size, but this demonstrate how large and how frightening the nile croc and the saltwater croc of Australia can be.

I've spent time in south Louisiana; trust me, this dead animal won't go to waste... it's skeleton will end up in a museum and the meat (which can be fried up quite nicely) will end up in persons' bellies....
Posted by salamander dork  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  08:06 PM
Sunny greetings from Mauritius!! I knew there was something fishy. These people do not look like Americans. While checking I found your website. Thanks and keep it up.
Posted by Sabine Moosooliah  in  Mauritius  on  Wed Sep 21, 2005  at  10:02 PM
What a sad picture! Why does it seem we destroy everything we come across. That crocodile, killed for whatever reason, should be alive, not strung up because other humans fear it. Even though all signs say this image is a hoax, someone had to kill that poor animal.
Posted by Burnsinblack  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  06:28 AM
As if it isnt bad enough that people died in NO, now there has to be some rediculous email circulating. As soon as I saw that I new it was junk!
Posted by ANGIE  in  MICHIGAN  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  07:48 AM
When I saw this email, my eyebrows lowered because it just sounded like something was wrong. I knew about alligators in that area, but I thought crocodiles...okay, maybe. Anyway, now that I know, I've since apologized to those who asked me about it and sent this site to my friend who sent the message to me. They are incredible pictures that didn't need to be sensationalized.
Posted by Tricia  in  N.Y.  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  08:18 AM
Even Utahns can tell the difference between reality and a hoax. It was probably someone in Wyoming or Idaho that started this. This is like saying the fish in the Great Salt Lake swim backwards to keep the salt out of their eyes....
Posted by Jason  in  SLC  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  09:08 AM
There are a couple of other clues indicating that this isn't in America. The men standing around in the pictures are obviously "true" Africans and not African American. Most African Americans are lighter in skin pigmentation. Not to mention the clothes that they are wearing. Also, given the media frenzy, such an event would have made the news in a big way. The markings on side of the container are also strange looking.
Posted by Harold  in  Frederick, MD  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  09:33 AM
Kade is the jerk that didn't believe the email and here is the real truth about the croc. Sorry to ruin your day. He likes to do that. Ashley
Posted by LaRee Sperry  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  11:12 AM
For completeness can somebody on this forum write
important points of difference between alligators
and crocodiles? Also, can I find one of these in
Iceland? (to eat of course) I am sick of eating
these damn seals round the year!
Posted by Igloo  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  11:37 AM
I belive that that a crocodile but just not from the U.S.. Especialy not over in N.O. Somebody dosen't have thir facts straight. :-{
Posted by The 1 and Only  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  11:43 AM
WHAT A CROC(K)!!!
Posted by Louise  in  Québec, Canada  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  08:45 PM
Were there any Alligators found in New Orleans after the storm was over. When thay started pumping the water out of the city. I could see were thay may be atracted bye the smill of dead bodys? But there has'nt been ant report of seeing any in the city ? Just wondering ???
Posted by Rick Cavitt  in  Sikeston,Mo.  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  04:59 AM
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