- 5 months ago
Documentary, River Monsters S03E06 Cold Blooded Horror
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00I'm Jeremy Wade, biologist and extreme angler.
00:23I travel the world investigating cases of legendary river monsters,
00:27of creatures that lurk beneath the surface of our awareness.
00:32During the course of my investigations I've found that however fantastic the tale,
00:36there's always a grain of truth.
00:38Fish fact can be just as fascinating as fish fiction.
00:44I've come to Japan, a place that's home to more stories about river monsters
00:48than any place I've been to before.
00:50This is the first time I've been to Japan and I have to confess I'm a little daunted
00:54by the challenge of separating hard river monster fact from local lore and tradition.
01:00I could be out of my depth.
01:04But one thing I'm sure of, real or imagined,
01:07I'm going to meet monsters unlike any I have ever encountered before.
01:11There's one down here or it might be two.
01:13There's one down here or it might be two.
01:14Japan, for its size, has a huge population.
01:15Over 127 million people.
01:16Mostly crammed into the mountains.
01:17Japan, for its size, has a huge population.
01:19Over 127 million people.
01:21Mostly crammed into the major cities.
01:35As always, it seems a metropolis is an unlikely place to start a storm.
01:40127 million people mostly crammed into the major cities as always it seems a
01:49metropolis is an unlikely place to start an adventure to find River Monsters but
01:55Japan still has its wild and remote areas although as yet I have no idea
02:02where my adventure will take me
02:06I've only just arrived and already I feel overwhelmed but I have to focus
02:13my first step is to get background information about the River Monsters I hunt
02:20so in the morning I will head to the kind of place where I know I can get the best local intelligence
02:36I'm looking for Japan's legendary River Monsters so I've come to the Tokyo Fish Market where you've got an amazing
02:42concentration of fish but more importantly the people who know about the fish
02:46it's five in the morning and already this place is like Grand Central Station the Japanese as a nation are
03:04just obsessed by fish the figures here are quite staggering something like half a million tons of
03:10fish and seafood come through this market every year actually makes it one of the biggest if not the biggest fish markets in the whole world
03:23To help me get started I brought a translator with me her name is my Nishiyama and she will accompany me around the market
03:32Straight away something grabs my attention
03:34It's off to a bit of a tangent but this is something I did want to see when I came here different kind of river monster this this is small
03:42But it could kill you and the way it kills you is if you eat it and if you eat the wrong bit
03:45That's it called fugu it contains one of the deadliest toxins in the world
03:50It can kill within two hours and an average of six people a year die from eating it
03:57Why are they selling it here if you eat the right bits are gonna be okay?
04:00It takes I think three years to train as a chef to prepare this blowfish
04:04It's a clear example of the extremely close connection the Japanese have with all things watery a mixture of fear and respect
04:11My search though is not for saltwater monsters, but freshwater ones so I head deeper into the market
04:18People start talking
04:20I'm trying to find Japan's legendary river monsters
04:26In old times maybe was there something
04:30That was actually very productive morning
04:59Talking to the people of the fish market there were two river monsters which kept coming to the surface
05:05One is this hideous scaly gremlin called the Kappa now
05:09This is reported to drag unwary children down into the depths where it devours them
05:15The other is a creature of altogether different magnitude
05:19It's said to be responsible for more human deaths than all the other river monsters
05:23I've encountered in other parts of the world put together
05:27Its name is the Namazu and apparently it's not just a legend the people say that it lives to this day in an ancient lake in the middle of Honshu Island
05:37At 260 square miles Lake Biwa is Japan's largest freshwater lake and dates back some four million years
05:50Making it one of the oldest lakes in the world
05:55To get there it's two hours by bullet train
05:57Japan is like nowhere I've been to before
05:59Japan is like nowhere I've been to before
06:01Ancient tradition and steel modernity sit so comfortably side by side
06:04But will there still be living evidence of the legends I seek in this day and age?
06:06But will there still be living evidence of the legends I seek in this day and age?
06:10Or have the river monsters been swallowed up by this progress?
06:12To find out before I head on to Lake Biwa
06:19Mai has arranged for me to meet with an anthropologist from the Shiga University
06:23Who's going to tell me more about the legends of these monsters and where to find them
06:27We meet outside an ancient shrine a place a hundred years away from the city I left only two hours ago
06:46His name is Professor Kuroda and he grew up surrounded by these legends
06:52I first asked him about the kappa
06:54Professor Kuroda says that when he was a child
06:59He was told not to go swimming because the kappa would actually come and takes your spirit
07:04I mean did you believe that as a child?
07:10Yes, he believed it and he tells me that when he was a child
07:13Two of his classmates drowned in a nearby river
07:16He was told then that their deaths have been the work of the sinister kappa
07:20So what does it actually look like this this creature?
07:23It's about the size of a child
07:29Some of the details are a bit hazy but what people are very sure about
07:32Is that it's got some kind of plate on its head
07:35Some people say that it has a shell on its back
07:37But the thing that everybody is clear about is that it's got hands
07:41But they're not hands like we have hands
07:43They are hands with webbed fingers
07:45Which I suppose makes sense because
07:47It lives in the water
07:49Creatures that live in the water very often
07:51You can't see them clearly, you just see a bit
07:53And I suppose over the years people see one bit, another bit
07:56They put them all together
07:58And what we've got in the case of the kappa is this composite water monster
08:04This information, although appalling
08:06Takes me no nearer to finding the truth about the identity of the terrifying kappa
08:12I change tack and ask instead about the namazu
08:16So can you tell me what is the old belief about the namazu?
08:20There is a huge one of these creatures living under the ground
08:31Legend goes that there is a catfish that lives under the earth
08:34When it wriggles its massive body
08:36It causes the huge earthquakes that frequently torment Japan
08:41To protect the people, Kashima, a water god
08:44Placed a huge stone on the namazu to prevent it from moving
08:47However, every so often the guard loses concentration
08:51And relaxes his pressure on the stone
08:53And the catfish wriggles, attempting to free itself
08:56Causing more earthquakes
09:02Japan has over 1,000 earthquakes a year
09:05It is a constant threat, putting millions of lives at risk
09:10Are these regular earth tremors really the work of a giant catfish?
09:17It's a startling story, with one massive stumbling block
09:21There is not a catfish alive that could have such an effect as this
09:25So my challenge is to find a possible connection in the real world
09:29Between catfish and earthquakes
09:31Maybe the answer lies out on the lake
09:36With only a few hours of daylight left
09:38I plan to scout the area
09:39And try to get my head around the immensity of my challenge
09:42Straight away, it's clear that the modern world is fast closing in on this ancient lake
09:53The kit my fishing guides have suggested I use
09:55Doesn't look capable of landing a monster
09:57But this 80 pound braided line has landed fish of over 100 pounds
10:01Using a very clever lure here
10:02The idea is it represents a frog
10:06And that hook is not going to get caught in the weed
10:10But when the fish comes along
10:13It does get caught in the fish
10:16So a very clever, weed free, artificial frog
10:19No swirls, no follows, no nothing so far
10:36Lake Biwa is like two lakes in one
10:39The south where I am now is weedy and shallow
10:42The north is much deeper, plummeting to over 300 feet
10:45This part is a more likely hideout for a monster catfish
10:49That might have inspired these earth moving legends
10:52And it is where I plan to fish tomorrow
10:59Fishing on the surface with the lure that's making a bit of noise
11:02Bit of commotion
11:04The rain just gives a certain amount of interference
11:06They can't hear it from quite so far away
11:11Change of lure
11:12Make a bit more noise
11:21Get missed or...
11:25And it seems to be getting some interest
11:28Come on, come on
11:32Something went for it and just missed it
11:37My luck is about to change
11:39Fish on!
11:40But what have I hooked?
11:44Tell them what that is!
11:55I'm in Japan hunting down two of its most infamous river monsters
11:59A child snatching killer called the Kappa
12:02And a devastating catfish called the Namazu
12:04Fish on!
12:06The question is...
12:07Do I have one of them on the end of my line?
12:09Okay, down up!
12:13Don't know what that is!
12:14It's very long
12:17It's a catfish!
12:23This thing hit it as soon as it hit the water
12:26Just whacked into it
12:27It's certainly not a monster
12:28It's certainly not a monster
12:29But who knows
12:30Could it be the progeny of the legendary Namazu?
12:33Very, very similar in appearance this to the European
12:37Wales catfish
12:39Elongated shape
12:41Big mouth, little eyes
12:43And those two long whiskers on the upper jaw
12:46This is unexpected
12:48Although I have caught a few catfish on lures
12:51But this is not the giant that is behind all the legends
12:54There are in fact three different species of catfish in the lake
12:58And what is confusing is that they call them all Namazu
13:02But this one is not the one that I'm after
13:06That is considerably larger than this one
13:08My target is the giant Namazu
13:11Or as it is known locally, the Biwako Onamazu
13:14My plan for tomorrow is to head further north
13:18Hire a bigger boat
13:20And fish on through the night
13:28Because what I'm looking for is so unusual
13:30I want to make sure that before I leave the city
13:32I've got all the gear that I need
13:33And also I might just find one or two final pieces of information
13:37These fishing tackle shops are just a great place to get the inside information
13:44And I discover that Lake Biwa is full of introduced fish species
13:50Including predatory snakehead
13:52Fish that I've had dealings with in the past
13:59Another surprise is that it seems no one actually fishes for the giant Namazu
14:03Do people want to avoid angering this monster?
14:05It seems incredible, but I'm about to enter new territory
14:10With no data from previous catches, could there be a colossal fish still living in the lake?
14:18Which in the days before science inspired their earthquake-causing reputation
14:23There's only one way to find out, and that is to catch one
14:27This time I'm heading north into the deeper section of this ancient lake
14:37The size of this lake gives me hope
14:42It's big enough and deep enough to hide a monster
14:45But that's also what makes this challenge so daunting
14:48The sheer volume of water
14:51I've got a little shiny bright jig
15:06I'm leading the sink down to the bottom
15:08And I'm just flicking it along the bottom
15:14Catfish tend to be nocturnal, so I'm intending to fish into the night, through the night
15:22But there's still a bit of light at the moment
15:24So I'm working a spoon very close to the bottom
15:27Just in case something's on the move already
15:29I've come to a sheltered bay
15:32In the lee of an island
15:33Quite a nice spot
15:35Fairly close to the side
15:37I'm going to try a variety of techniques through the night
15:39And if there's something moving
15:42One of them might take an interest
15:44One of them might take an interest
15:45One of them might take an interest
15:46Ian
16:10Catfish don't rely on eyesight much
16:12They can follow boats
16:15They can follow chemical trails in the water, and also vibrations.
16:21Catfish, like all fish, possess a lateral line,
16:24which enables them to sense these vibrations.
16:27But they also have these barbels
16:29that allow them to picture their world using smell.
16:35So I'll get a bait down there on the bottom,
16:38sit back, and it'll be a waiting game, then.
16:40As I settle in, I think about other catfish that I've caught before.
16:50Especially those whales in Spain,
16:52a catfish with space and food to grow to truly monstrous proportions.
17:00The giant namazu comes from the same family as the whales.
17:04And with this much space and lots of food,
17:06I am certain that there is a giant lurking
17:08beneath the surface of this lake.
17:16What well-known game fish is found in Lake Biwa?
17:22It's the largemouth bass introduced to Japan in 1925.
17:33My task in Japan is to investigate its river monster myths.
17:36What I've discovered is a creepy child-snatching killer called the Kappa,
17:42and a catfish that, according to legend,
17:44is responsible for the earthquakes that plague Japan.
17:46I'm out on Lake Biwa, trying to catch a giant,
17:52but I'm struggling to see the science behind the legend.
17:56I've caught giant catfish in the past,
17:58but none of them could have been accused of causing earthquakes.
18:02Could their nocturnal super senses have something to do with my investigation?
18:06It's something that I will keep in the back of my mind.
18:19By daybreak, the giant has still eluded me.
18:23We try another spot, but the weather conditions are deteriorating rapidly.
18:35After 24 rain-drenched hours and little sleep,
18:39nothing feels like it's going my way.
18:41And as another evening closes in,
18:47I have still not had any fish, let alone a giant catfish.
18:53Maybe I'm going in the wrong direction
18:55and need to rethink my strategy.
18:57I've noticed there are a lot of commercial fishermen on Lake Biwa.
19:02Perhaps it's time to seek some professional help.
19:05Outside the local fishing association offices,
19:21I meet with a Mr. Scuda.
19:25Mr. Scuda, how long have you been fishing?
19:28So 30 years.
19:29And what fish are you normally after?
19:31So Mr. Scuda fishes for eels here,
19:36and he uses a long line,
19:39a long, very long line,
19:40over a mile with about 150 to 200 hooks on.
19:48So he had one namazu last year.
19:50This year, nothing at all.
19:52I mean, that's really putting into perspective
19:54how scarce, how hard to catch these are.
19:58What kind of size?
20:011.8, that's about 5 1⁄2 foot, isn't it?
20:06One final thing.
20:07I've heard this story about the giant namazu here
20:10causing earthquakes.
20:11Is that something that you believe?
20:13I don't know who asked them,
20:14but they might be big, but they're not that big.
20:19But he does say that maybe
20:21they get more active before earthquakes.
20:24That's interesting.
20:25That's not, but
20:26He says that before an earthquake,
20:31he tends to catch more fish than normally.
20:33So there's definitely something going on there.
20:37At last, a connection between catfish and earthquakes.
20:41Now, I can see how fish this size
20:49might possibly inspire legends,
20:51but I think the belief that they can cause earthquakes
20:53has to be taking things a bit far.
20:56At Lake Bewa Aquarium,
20:58they have two 5-foot namazu.
21:00It's good to know that these fish exist,
21:02even if it is not at the end of my line.
21:04You know, I've been talking to the fishermen,
21:08but perhaps it's time
21:09that I started talking to some scientists.
21:16So I've set up a meeting with Professor Yada,
21:18who is doing some startling experiments in this area.
21:23What's this over here?
21:24So the experiment in this tank
21:36is actually an attempt to quantify this observation
21:38that namazu gets more active before earthquakes.
21:42Normally, the fish just sits on the bottom,
21:44not doing very much.
21:45There's a light beam.
21:47And every time the fish passes through the light beam,
21:50this counter records it.
21:52On an average day,
21:52it might break that light beam 10 times.
21:54There's a counter on the left there.
21:57Then Professor Yada cross-references
21:59the namazu's movements
22:00with data about earthquake activity.
22:04But here we have,
22:05a couple of months ago,
22:07you know, normal activity,
22:08not very much,
22:08but on one day here,
22:10more than 60 times.
22:15And that red line there,
22:17there was an earthquake,
22:17magnitude 6.1.
22:19So it seems to show a real correlation.
22:22A quantifiable correlation
22:24between namazu activity and earthquakes.
22:28How exactly these catfish are able to detect these earthquakes so early is unclear.
22:35But one thing is certain,
22:37they can,
22:38and long before any human being.
22:40It's the connection and the evidence I was looking for.
22:44Because I believe in the ancient world,
22:47the world when this legend was created,
22:49in a time before science,
22:50fishermen would witness this increased activity
22:53and soon afterwards experience an earthquake.
22:55They couldn't help but connect the two events.
22:59But instead of this activity being a reaction to the faint early tremors,
23:03they perceived it as the earthquake's cause.
23:06And in a country obsessed with fish,
23:08which also suffers regular devastating earthquakes,
23:10the legend of the namazu was born.
23:14This investigation has shown me that in Japan,
23:17I have to think differently.
23:19And my mission is far from over.
23:21So it turns out there is something very real
23:23behind the legend of the namazu.
23:25But what about that other legend,
23:27which seems, if anything,
23:28even more far-fetched?
23:29The kappa,
23:30the creature in the water
23:31whose preferred victims are children.
23:34Japan's most infamous river monster,
23:42the kappa,
23:43has been accused of horrifying crimes for centuries.
23:56Although strong enough to kill cattle and horses,
24:00its preferred victims,
24:02children.
24:04Descriptions of the kappa vary,
24:11but the common features seem to be
24:12a wide mouth,
24:14a long body,
24:15a mottled skin in shades of brown and green.
24:18And it is always associated with water.
24:31Often taking its victims
24:33completely unawares.
24:35Completely unawares.
24:35yon,
24:36and I think it's the most important thing that
24:37is earth.
24:39And the understanding of the sacred
25:04I'm in Japan, tracking down the animal behind the legend of the child-snatching killer, the kappa.
25:19It drowns its victims and sucks their spirit out of them.
25:34And although widely seen as just a legend, I've heard how this monster has been blamed for the deaths of children.
25:41Professor Currida told me about his two school friends, whose drowning was attributed to the sinister kappa.
25:47Everyone I speak to in Japan seems to know of this monster.
25:56I have also been told about a famous shrine to the kappa.
26:04A place where people make offerings to keep this sinister river monster away from their children.
26:15I'm hoping there'll be some sort of statue or picture to help me work out exactly what it is that I'm dealing with.
26:27And there it is.
26:34So that is the kappa.
26:41Fascinating looking creature.
26:43Almost humanoid in some ways.
26:44Four limbs.
26:46But then it's got these claws.
26:47Three claws on each limb.
26:49And almost like fish scales.
26:51You know, it's obviously a very, very powerful mental image that people have.
26:57Everything here.
26:59These are all offerings.
27:00There's sake there.
27:01There's even some water.
27:03There's books.
27:04There's all sorts of drawings.
27:06But everything, offerings that people have left here.
27:10What I'm really interested in is finding out what real creature might have actually given rise to the kappa.
27:18I talk with a monk who seems to be in charge of looking after the shrine.
27:32It looks like the kappa is still very much alive in people's minds, but finding a real one is going to be a different matter entirely.
27:43However, I have heard of a place where apparently there is a mummified kappa.
27:47That is definitely something I've got to see for myself.
28:05I've traveled to the south of the country.
28:06I'm a couple of hours outside Fukuoka.
28:09And maybe the answer to the kappa mystery is inside this brewery.
28:17I'm in Japan hunting down a river monster known as the kappa.
28:29So maybe the answer I'm looking for is inside this building.
28:47Well, here it is.
29:06I have to say it is quite a creepy looking thing, whatever it is.
29:09The skin shrunken over the bones.
29:11And although it is very clearly dead, it does actually have this sense that it is looking out at you.
29:18Apparently it is found in the roof space here about 50 years ago inside this box.
29:23And they have created this shrine to it.
29:26It has never been scientifically examined, but I think the feeling is that by honoring it,
29:31they are allowing it to continue to protect the brewery.
29:35It's some 400 years old, which dates it back to the Edo period of Japan,
29:47a time of superstition and fantasy.
29:56And as I draw its details, I have my suspicions as to what this mummified creature might be.
30:00Well, fascinating looking thing.
30:20I didn't want to say too much in there because I don't actually think that that's any kind of real animal at all.
30:24I think it's more something that's been made from bits of different animals,
30:29which is actually not that uncommon in the old days in Japan.
30:32So, it's not the answer that I'm looking for, but I think that in a strange way,
30:36it takes me closer towards the answer because if that is the kind of animal that people think the Kappa is,
30:42then maybe I'm not looking for a fish after all.
30:48This could be my strangest case yet.
30:50I've come to Kyoto University to meet somebody who can tell me what else there is besides fish
31:01that lives in Japanese rivers.
31:08Professor Matsui, can you tell me about what is living in the rivers in Japan apart from the fish?
31:13Grows, rocks, and newts, sarwanders, turtles.
31:21Turtles. Now that instantly triggers my thought process.
31:25I have encountered large turtles before. Could the Kappa be a turtle?
31:29It would have to be a giant to inspire this legend.
31:36How big do the turtles grow?
31:37The biggest turtle is about, not so big, nearly 50 centimetres.
31:42Nearly 50? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
31:44That's about 50 centimetres, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
31:46Not big enough to be the child snatching Kappa, but turtles have clearly influenced the legend,
31:52as the Kappa is sometimes depicted with a shell.
31:54But as we talk further, Professor Matsui tells me of a creature known locally as the Hansaki,
32:03which lives in rivers and grows nearly six feet long.
32:06But it is very rare now. To find one, I'll have to travel into the remote hills.
32:12To meet a man who has dedicated his life to studying this mysterious creature.
32:15Is this another Japanese wild goose chase, or have I found my river monster?
32:24I meet Mr. Toshimoto in his Riverside Institute, dedicated to the study of the Hansaki.
32:30And he shows me a skeleton.
32:32But he assures me this one comes from a real creature.
32:35So here it is, but in some ways I'm none the wiser. I mean, it does look very fish-like.
32:41I mean, it looks a bit like a mixture between catfish, lungfish, an eel.
32:47But it's not quite as simple as that. There are other bones here as well.
32:51It's a middle-sized one. It's three feet long, but that's just a middle-sized one.
32:55And there we go. That could easily grab hold of my hand.
32:58Grab hold of my hand.
33:00Same hand.
33:02Some photographs in here of bite marks on hands, which is starting to concentrate my mind a bit.
33:12Very sharp.
33:13Yes.
33:23So daytime, if I put my hands underneath stones, I should be a little bit careful, maybe.
33:28But I've come to the right place. I'm off now to look for a hanzaki in the wild.
33:40Mr. Toshimoto accompanies me on my hunt. He has been studying the hanzaki in this river for the past 30 years.
33:47He knows their habits and where to find them.
33:49But not only that, hanzaki are a protected species.
33:53So if I wasn't assisting Mr. Toshimoto in his ongoing study, I wouldn't even be allowed to get near them.
33:59This animal has sharp teeth that will cut my fingers if they actually went anywhere near its mouth.
34:06So I've got my bite-proof Kevlar gloves on.
34:09Got to go down with this underwater camera.
34:12Just try and see if I can find one, see where it is, and then go down and try and grab it.
34:16At a waterfall, he tells me he has caught hanzaki here in the past. It's a good place for them to hunt.
34:25There are plenty of fish here.
34:35I try the other side. The current is surprisingly strong, and I'm not entirely sure what it is I'm hoping to confront.
34:48But I think I've hit the jackpot.
34:49There's one down here. It might be two. There's a tail sticking out.
34:50About four or five foot down in the water, but it's right underneath this rock.
34:52It did move. As I came past, it did sort of shuffle further in, though.
34:56The problem is, I just have the tail, a little bit of tail sticking out. So hold the tail, grab tight.
35:02Okay, okay, okay. Okay, so grab tight, and then in the net. Okay. I'm worried it might double round and have a go at me.
35:13It is a tough and robust animal, so I need to get a firm grip for its safety and safety and safety.
35:19We're all right. Okay, so I'm worried it might double round and have a go at me.
35:24I'm worried it might double round and have a go at me.
35:27It is a tough and robust animal, so I need to get a firm grip for its safety and mine.
35:35This isn't a monster I can catch on the end of a line. I've got to use my hands.
35:54I'm hunting for a creature behind the myth of a child-killing monster, the Kappa.
36:17It's a creature known locally as the Hanzaki, and I think I'm just about to come face to face with it.
36:26I have caught a Hanzaki, better known as the giant Japanese salamander, one of the largest salamanders in the world.
36:33And the creature that I believe is behind the Kappa legend.
36:40They get bigger than this, but wow, this creature is aggressive, even though we mean it no harm.
36:45Oh, okay.
36:46The good thing is that these guys, unlike fish, are just as at home on land as they are in the water.
36:52Pretty soon, he calms down.
36:55That is the Hanzaki Noodled.
36:58And I'm very pleased that even with my gloves on, my hands stayed away from that mouth.
37:03He wasn't too amused by the fact that he was just pulled out of his hole like that.
37:08But this, I think, is the creature I've been after.
37:14Looks a bit like a fish, but it's got hands.
37:17And that's exactly what this has got.
37:21Mr. Toshimoto is monitoring the health of the Hanzaki population along this river.
37:26It's nearly 10 pounds.
37:29Measuring, weighing, and micro-tagging every one of his catches.
37:32Counting all the digits. All normal.
37:35So that when he recaptures them, he can build up a clear picture of how this incredibly rare animal is faring in the wild.
37:41Best part of a yard long.
37:43And now, we have collected a new one for his study.
37:46This is an animal that hasn't been caught before.
37:49It doesn't have a chip in it.
37:51So that's a really good capture.
37:53Normally, I wouldn't be allowed to touch this, but the fact that I'm acting as Mr. Toshimoto's assistant means that I'm able to work with this animal.
38:01There are only a few pockets of these endangered giant salamanders left in the wild.
38:06These creatures that haven't changed since the age of the dinosaurs.
38:09Their survival is an important part of Japan's natural heritage.
38:14And when I try to release it, this national treasure still makes one last attempt to bite me.
38:20Before disappearing, unfazed by his capture.
38:31As darkness falls, my goal is simple.
38:34I want to catch an even larger one.
38:35One that is big enough to potentially pull a child underwater.
38:39I struggle to avoid getting bitten by the last one.
38:43I wonder how I will tackle a giant at night.
38:46And since these salamanders are reputed to grow to nearly six feet long, I'm not even sure I want to.
38:54Giant Japanese salamanders are under threat from an unusual source.
38:58Their closest living relatives.
39:01Introduced Chinese salamanders have started breeding with the native Japanese giants, creating hybrids.
39:08When any Chinese or hybrid salamanders are found, they have to be removed from the river.
39:13Mr. Toshimoto keeps a collection of them back at the Institute.
39:21Right. Take a look at this.
39:27This was caught from a river just a few miles from here.
39:32But this one's a hybrid.
39:35So this doesn't get put back in the river.
39:38And this is why I can have a good look at it.
39:41This guy is nearly four foot long.
39:44And when they get this big, with no natural predators, they're fearless.
39:48Now those descriptions I heard of the capper, it sounded just like this composite animal, a mixture of different bits of different animals.
39:58And I mean, what is there that is like that?
40:00Well, I think this is it.
40:02The giant salamander.
40:06You've got the flat head, the wide mouth, long muscular body, complete with this powerful tail.
40:19And then, last but not least, you've got these limbs.
40:28This is just like a fish with limbs.
40:31Now, if you saw one of these down in your local stream,
40:36I can fully understand you not wanting your child to go swimming there.
40:39Unlike most river monsters I encounter, which like deep, dark water, these salamanders live in small, crystal clear rivers.
40:52The kind of streams you would let your children play in.
40:55And watching them catch a fish, you can see how the idea came about that the capper kills its victim by sucking out its soul.
41:05These voracious predators literally vacuum up their food.
41:18And if it doesn't kill you in its jaws, then a more sinister fate awaits you.
41:24Imprisoned, alive in its stomach, while you slowly dissolve.
41:27So this investigation has taken me into new territory in more ways than one.
41:40My mission is always to find the truth behind the legend.
41:45But as soon as I arrived in Japan, the task felt overwhelming.
41:49With stories of earthquake causing catfish and child snatching killers.
41:53But I have found what I believe to be the truth behind these tales.
41:58And the one thing that I will take away with me from Japan is the knowledge that the wall between truth and fantasy is sometimes paper thin.
42:06I can fully understand how this creature could inspire legends.
42:11And in my book it certainly qualifies as a river monster.
42:15To find out how you can help the people and animals affected by the disaster in Japan,
42:20log on to animalplanet.com slash raw.
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