The 80-Year-Old Crocodile That Rules a Shark-Hunting River

More than 80 years old and missing a front leg, Brutus still rules 12 km of Australia’s Adelaide River—and has been reported hunting bull sharks. His story exposes the biology that makes saltwater crocodiles apex predators from rivers to open ocean. Discover the highest directly measured bite force among living animals, the death roll, and sensors that find prey in darkness. See how this reptile can hit 29 km/h in water, stay submerged for 2 hours, and survive years without food. Its lineage endured the extinction that ended the non-avian dinosaurs. But what lets 3-legged Brutus remain dominant in a river where one mistake can be fatal?