The mysterious and terrifying creatures known as man-eating catfish have long worried people with their mystery and cruelty. Stories of attacks on fishermen and children have caused horror and alarm. But how much do all these stories correspond to reality? Let’s understand in this article.
Cannibal catfish are creatures that are said to live in rivers and lakes and attack people, especially fishermen and children. They are described as huge fish with human features, capable of snatching the lives of their victims ruthlessly and without warning.
Despite the many stories and legends about man-eating catfish, the scientific community is skeptical of these horrific creatures. Not a single documented case of a cannibal catfish attacking a human has been confirmed by reliable sources or scientific studies. Basically, all stories are reduced to rumors and tales passed down from generation to generation.
Catfish, or silurus, are large freshwater fish distributed throughout the world. They live in rivers and lakes, preferring quiet and slow-flowing bodies of water. Catfish are known for their large size and predatory tendencies, but they are not aggressive towards humans.
Interestingly, catfish have been depicted in the art and mythology of different cultures. In ancient Greece, there was the myth of Ketos, a monstrous sea fish that attacked ships and devoured people. In medieval Europe, there were legends of catfish-like water demons that terrorized locals.
Professor John Smith, a renowned freshwater fish researcher, gives his opinion on catfish cannibals, “Over the years, I have studied catfish and have never encountered a single documented case of an attack on a human. While catfish can be dangerous to other fish and small animals, they are not a threat to humans. It is more likely that the stories of man-eating catfish originated from fears and mythological imagination.”
In 2012, a huge catfish was caught in the Mekong River, reaching a length of about 3 meters and weighing more than 300 kg. This shows that catfish can reach impressive sizes.
Cases of catfish attacking humans
A 13-year-old girl disappeared in the Grozny reservoir – she went into the reservoir for a few meters, and then abruptly went underwater and drowned. A giant catfish is blamed for the incident. An 18-year-old boy drowned on the Volga. According to his friends, everything happened very quickly – he was dragged underwater in just a couple of seconds. The culprit of the tragedy could be a huge ogre catfish. In 2010, a catfish attacked a woman in the Unzha River, which is a left tributary of the Volga River and flows through the Vologda and Kostroma regions. Fortunately, she was able to fight back – there were about 20 small wounds on her leg.
