Man-Eating Crocodiles: When a Village Called a Hunter for Help

Tom Bolack and a fellow hunter hunted a man-eating crocodile in Africa after a village asked for help, according to museum accounts. Bolack later recalled that the Nile crocodile contained the beads of seven women. The specimen is displayed today at the Bolack Museum of Fish and Wildlife in Farmington, New Mexico.

Plan your visit to see the crocodile, more than 2,500 wildlife specimens, and the neighboring Electromechanical Museum.

Plan your visit to Tom Bolack’s Museum of Fish and Wildlife, open by appointment Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain Time Admission is free. Call 505-325-4275 or schedule a guided tour through our contact page.

The Call for Help

In short: A village in Africa was losing women to a Nile crocodile that attacked people while they were cleaning laundry and dishes at the river. They asked Tom Bolack, who was hunting in the region, to help.

According to museum accounts, a village in Africa faced repeated crocodile attacks while women washed clothes along the river. After multiple deaths, several men from the village ran numerous miles to Tom Bolack’s camping site requesting his help.

The Nile crocodile is responsible for more human fatalities than any other crocodilian species, with researchers estimating roughly 200 deaths a year across sub-Saharan Africa. Faced with a persistent man-eating crocodile, the villagers believed eliminating the animal was the only way to make the river safe again.

Tom Bolack and the Hunt

Tom Bolack was an oilman, rancher, city mayor, state legislator, former governor of New Mexico, and lifelong hunter whose collection now forms the heart of the Bolack Museum Foundation. He received Safari Club International’s Fourth Pinnacle of Achievement Award and hunted across much of the world during his lifetime. According to museum accounts, he and a fellow hunter tracked the crocodile at night from a canoe before finally bringing the hunt to an end. A KNME-TV documentary archived by the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a collaboration between the Library of Congress and GBH, preserves Bolack’s own account of the crocodile in transcript form.

The museum also notes that Bolack answered similar calls for help during other hunting expeditions, including a hunt for a man-eating tiger in India.

What They Found Inside

In short: When the man-eating crocodile was examined, beads belonging to seven women, along with clothing and sandals, were reportedly found inside its stomach.

One reason this exhibit leaves such a lasting impression is what Bolack later said was found after the crocodile was opened. In the KNME documentary, Bolack recalled that it contained the beads of seven women. Visitors who have taken the tour also describe clothing and sandals recovered from the animal.

Today, the crocodile is displayed in a naturalistic river setting at the Tom Bolack’s Museum of Fish and Wildlife, with the beads shown alongside the specimen. The beads are the reason the exhibit stays with people: physical evidence of why an entire village asked for help.

See the Man-Eating Crocodile at the Bolack Museum

You can see this exhibit at the Bolack Museum of Fish and Wildlife in Farmington, New Mexico. The museum holds more than 2,500 mounted specimens from five continents, and the neighboring Electromechanical Museum covers decades of technological and industrial history.

• Location: 3901 Bloomfield Highway, Farmington, NM 87401
• Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain Time
• Admission: Free
• Tours: Guided tours by appointment, reservations recommended
• Phone: 505-325-4275

Plan on three to four hours to tour both museums. Review visitor information before you come, then book a tour or call 505-325-4275 to reserve your time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see a man-eating crocodile at the Bolack Museum?

Yes. The man-eating crocodile is one of the signature exhibits at the Bolack Museum of Fish and Wildlife in Farmington, New Mexico, displayed in a naturalistic river setting that tells the story behind the hunt. Admission is free, guided tours are available by appointment, and visitors can view more than 2,500 wildlife specimens.

How big was the crocodile Tom Bolack hunted in Africa?

Accounts vary. The specimen has been described as measuring roughly 17 feet or more, which would place it near the upper end of the species. Nile crocodiles reach a maximum of about 20 feet. Museum guides can give you the current measurement listed on the exhibit signage.

Are Nile crocodiles really man-eaters?

Yes. The Nile crocodile is responsible for more reported human fatalities than any other crocodile species, with an estimated 200 deaths a year. Found across much of sub-Saharan Africa, these predators sometimes attack people who are fishing, collecting water, or washing clothes along riverbanks.

Who was Tom Bolack?

Tom Bolack was an oilman, rancher, city mayor, state legislator, former governor of New Mexico, and internationally recognized big-game hunter. His travels took him across much of the world, and his personal collection became the foundation of today’s Bolack Museum of Fish and Wildlife, where visitors can see thousands of mounted specimens.

Is the Bolack Museum free to visit?

Yes. Admission is free, and guided tours are available by appointment Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain Time. Visitors can tour both the Fish and Wildlife Museum and the neighboring Electromechanical Museum, and should plan on two to three hours. For reservations, call 505-325-4275.