River Monsters
GOONCH CATFISH: River Monster Fish
Bagarius yarelli
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Maximum Length: Up to 6 feet
Maximum Weight: Over 150 pounds
Maneater or Misunderstood? The goonch catfish, much like its other catfish relatives, can grow to an enormous size and weight. But unlike others, this river monster makes its home in the Great Kali River running between India and Nepal, a stretch of water that is often used to dispose of funeral pyres after Hindu funeral rites. Theory contends that the goonch has long scavenged the half-burned human corpses from these funeral pyres. This diet may have helped the goonch — or at least a few members of the species — grow to unusually huge proportions. It may also have led the goonch to develop a taste for human flesh, which may now be fueling frightening attacks on live humans.
Reports of Attacks on Humans: The goonch stands accused of a number of human attacks, including the death of an 18-year-old Nepali in 2008, who was dragged down into the river by what witnesses described as an "elongated pig." Two similar attacks were reported in 1988.
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RIVER MONSTERS: Killer Catfish
Biologist and extreme angler Jeremy Wade searches for the goonch, a potentially huge, man-eating species of catfish located in the foothills of the Himalayas. His mission: to discover whether or not this monster preys on live humans.
Check the TV Schedule.
 Watch Man-Sized Killer Catfish
Watch Catching Goonch Catfish
Watch River Monsters Videos in our River Monsters video hub.
 Incredible, huh? Check out more Killer Fish Photos.
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