good2speed
28-02-2006 10:53:39
Summary of the eRumor
The email comes with pictures of a huge crocodile saying that he was found in the streets of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and is 21 feet long and weighs 4,500 pounds.
The eRumor claims that the croc is more than 80 years old and is too aged to catch animals so was looking for people instead.
The story claims that the reptile was shot by Army troops "last Sunday" and that its carcass is in a freezer at the Azur Hotel.
The Truth
This story is a hoax.
The pictures are authentic but are of a crocodile that was captured in Congo, Africa, long before hurricane Katrina.
Some versions say it's an alligator that was found in the streets.
The references to Army troops and the Azur Hotel are of Congo.
Better estimates of the size of the croc are about 16 feet long and more than 1,000 pounds.