Killer Catfish is the second episode of the first season of River Monsters.
Episode Description[]
Numerous terrifying reports hail from India's Kali River. Jeremy Wade travels here in search of answers. Did the legendary Goonch Catfish really cause human deaths? Jeremy will attempt to catch this monster at all costs, despite the fact that the odds are against him.
Episode Summary[]
In the Himalayas, lives one of the largest species of catfish in the world, the Goonch Catfish, or Giant Devil Catfish. Jeremy Wade arrives to find out if these attacks are simply hoaxes, or are truly perpetrated by an "underwater ogre". The first attack happened on a young man who was swimming in the Kali River. He vanished without a sound or a scream.
Some suggested that this was caused by a whirlpool, while others blamed crocodiles. However, whirlpools do not occur in places where people frequent, and crocodiles are typically found in warmer water, not mountain rivers such as the Kali. Jeremy unearthed more chilling fatal attacks on children and even water buffalo. He determines it must be the Goonch Catfish.
Jeremy Wade sets out to catch the elusive Goonch, but the "Yeti of the River" proves as rare as rumors suggest. The monsoon threatens to end his quest, and much of his crew has already left leaving only Jeremy and his cameraman. A sense of hopelessness fills them as Jeremy hooks what feels like a large Goonch, but is unable to bring it in. While Jeremy manages to catch a few smaller specimens, none of them are nearly large enough to drag a human down.
Jeremy tries a new technique. He creates a pyre similar to those used to cremate bodies. The Goonch is known to feed on cremated corpses, so this could prove successful. Jeremy hooks what he thinks is a Goonch, but it feels similar in size to the previous large specimen. Unable to control it, he throws himself into the water and swims after it, despite warnings from bystanders. Jeremy's cameraman ran around across a bridge and ran down to the other side of the river just in time to video other people capturing the Goonch by its tail. It was at the time the world-record Goonch. This 161-pound Goonch remains one of the most popular River Monsters. After giving audiences a clear look, Jeremy released this monster back into the Kali River, noting its importance to the ecosystem.
Animals Featured[]
Locations Featured[]
- India
Trivia[]
- It is possibly the most popular River Monsters episode ever, as indicated by the fan-favorite episode poll on Animal Planet. However other popular options such as Demon Fish were not listed there.
- This is the first episode of River Monsters to be filmed.
- At the time, the giant Goonch caught at the end of the episode was the world record. However the record was barely passed in 2010.
See Also[]
Gallery[]
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