Ramree Island: Animal House of Horrors or Urban Legend?

It isn’t a very big or important place. Not many people live there, either historically or today. It isn’t a tourist destination or a tropical paradise: it doesn’t even appear all that different from the mainland. Under normal circumstances, no one outside of Myanmar would have ever heard of Ramree Island.
But, just like many previously unremarkable places, war came to visit Ramree in 1945, and with it came one of the most horrifyingly gruesome stories in the history of warfare: an entire regiment of Japanese troops disappeared into a jungle swamp, mostly never to be seen again. What killed them was not the British soldiers pursuing them, but by Mother Nature, particularly one of her most dangerous predators: the saltwater crocodile.
The idea of hundreds of soldiers being eaten alive by gigantic beasts leftover from the era of the dinosaurs, what the Guinness Book of World Records called “the deadliest animal attack in human history,” is so horrifying that it defies belief. In fact, many people DON’T believe it: they say the story is impossible, that it is a work of complete fiction.
True or not, the story has defined the outsider’s perspective on Ramree Island ever since, all you have to do is scour the Internet to show that. As for whether or not you believe it, we’ll tell the story, and then you can decide for yourself.
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Пікірлер: 130

  • @geographicstravel
    @geographicstravel5 ай бұрын

    Check out Karl's Socials: Fact Fiend: www.youtube.com/@FactFiend Wiki Weekends: www.youtube.com/@wikiweekends Untitled Side Channel: www.youtube.com/@untitledsidechannel Twitter: twitter.com/KarlSmallwood

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430

    @danielsantiagourtado3430

    5 ай бұрын

    You're the Best 😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

  • @michaeldrake798

    @michaeldrake798

    5 ай бұрын

    If you guys occasionally need a staff writer on this or Biographics, let me know. Love the channels regardless of the situation and Karl is a good presenter.

  • @Aramis419
    @Aramis4195 ай бұрын

    One of my great-uncles fought in Burma during THE WAR, and after my having heard this story (I was all of 10 years old at the time) on, of all things, THE HISTORY CHANNEL, I asked him about it. "People still believe that? We made it up! Wish it would've really happened though. Those Japanese were right bastards."

  • @hectorlumbagoCringe

    @hectorlumbagoCringe

    2 ай бұрын

    Sure dude keep simping

  • @christopherscroggins7404

    @christopherscroggins7404

    2 ай бұрын

    I smell bullshit 😂and its from your comment

  • @Aramis419

    @Aramis419

    2 ай бұрын

    @@christopherscroggins7404 Hey, for all I know, it could’ve been! I’m just repeating what I was told! Could’ve been just another adventure story to entertain a kid.

  • @Lisa-ol1ih
    @Lisa-ol1ih5 ай бұрын

    I had actually never heard of this story before, so I'm glad I heard it right the first time!

  • @fox0yeah410

    @fox0yeah410

    5 ай бұрын

    Need to watch Joe Roger 😂😂😂😂😂😂 forrest talked about this a bit ago

  • @user-ek8gs4ij4r
    @user-ek8gs4ij4r5 ай бұрын

    I don't know whether it happened at all, but 1000 people slogging through 10 miles of chest deep, muck bottomed swamp, it's almost hard to imagine it didn't happen at least a few times.

  • @Lager1978
    @Lager19785 ай бұрын

    "Murder logs" LMAO! I shall now refer to all saltwater crocodiles as 'murder logs' from today onward.

  • @christopherscroggins7404

    @christopherscroggins7404

    2 ай бұрын

    😂😂😂

  • @AndresSebriant
    @AndresSebriant5 ай бұрын

    I mean I always sorta thought it was some killed but not 500... But I COULD see them scavenging every single corpse left behind which is equally terrifying.

  • @goosenotmaverick1156
    @goosenotmaverick11565 ай бұрын

    Im with ya Karl, the Death Roll is honeslty the scariest part for me.

  • @geographicstravel

    @geographicstravel

    5 ай бұрын

    YEP!

  • @andymcneil7085

    @andymcneil7085

    5 ай бұрын

    I think the death roll is engineered to rip food from the victim just to give them a snack, too keep the wolf from the door, so too speak.

  • @goosenotmaverick1156

    @goosenotmaverick1156

    5 ай бұрын

    @@andymcneil7085 as far as I understand, that is correct, which is what makes it so terrifying. I'd rather be dead first, then dismembered, not have my arms ripped off WHILE drowning, at least that's how I figure it

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430

    @danielsantiagourtado3430

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@geographicstravelyep

  • @andymcneil7085

    @andymcneil7085

    5 ай бұрын

    @@goosenotmaverick1156 when put that way, I can see your point.

  • @bunyipdragon9499
    @bunyipdragon94995 ай бұрын

    Hi karl, nice to see more of the real you sneaking through into your long running interim role. Just to let you know its either Salty or Saltwater Crocodiles but not saltywater crocodiles as you said at the beginning 💜

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430
    @danielsantiagourtado34305 ай бұрын

    Love your content man! Please make an Agincourt video!😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

  • @Pissedoffdetective
    @Pissedoffdetective5 ай бұрын

    My grandfather was sent to Burma as an SRO and wasn't demobbed until 1947. Several of his mates were taken when fishing in their downtime.

  • @CC-gg4oj
    @CC-gg4oj5 ай бұрын

    Keep it up Karl, don't mind some of the dino's in the comments. Australia has a lot of crocs and they're big, not may people survive an attack. They usual take fishers or idiots swimming where they should not. An idea for a Geo or Top Tenz could be just how many animal, fish, reptile, insect, bird or other life could kill you in a given country. I'd think Australia would be number 1 on the list. Cheers mate.

  • @MeesterJ

    @MeesterJ

    5 ай бұрын

    Aussie would be fighting hard to keep Brazil off there I imagine

  • @bigballer4897

    @bigballer4897

    4 ай бұрын

    Aus isn’t even top 5 just think about what animals are in other countries yeah besides the water what else here is full apex? Maybe snakes everywhere has em what else hmm spiders insects like what hahah other places have bears tigers all that some with multiple in one country think about Africa they beat anywhere by miles even America even has more than us like hahah it’s a misconception if you actually think on it and the places above aus the crocs attack people a lot more often because they are always close to the water trying hydrate Think about the Amazon jaguars piranhas giant anacondas all that russia wolves bears cougars like bruh other places killer whales polar bears all that like think bro

  • @adrianjorgensen3750
    @adrianjorgensen37505 ай бұрын

    Saltwater crocodiles being notoriously uncooperative during interviews.

  • @russelllomando8460
    @russelllomando84605 ай бұрын

    interesting story. thanks. good one.

  • @guyplachy9688
    @guyplachy96885 ай бұрын

    There were also the reports of wounded Japanese soldiers being taken by crocodiles whilst trying to get past Australian troops through the mangroves around Buna, Gona & Sanananda during the New Guinea campaign. These are generally confirmed as there were multiple witnesses on both sides, however, they were probably in the order of a few dozen, at most, rather than hundreds.

  • @Alastair_
    @Alastair_5 ай бұрын

    My grandfather fought in Burma, I can only imagine the hell he went through but sadly I never got to meet him, he didn't die out there but shortly after he returned home.

  • @resileaf9501
    @resileaf95015 ай бұрын

    Haha, very empathic with your fear of crocodiles there. You don't get to be an apex predator by not being terrifying to be around. But man, you made me miss Steve Irwin again. How I wish he were still with us.

  • @Jatheus
    @Jatheus5 ай бұрын

    I hear you, probably never happened as such... but hear me out... can we get a horror movie on this? It sounds like it could be a fun horror movie. I had not heard of this before this video, so thanks!

  • @hoppytoad79

    @hoppytoad79

    5 ай бұрын

    You have an odd idea of fun. 😄 Seriously, I agree this would be a great horror movie. The psychological terror of not knowing what made the ripples off to the right, or if what you're seeing is a log or a salty, or is that a vine or a snake ahead hanging off a branch, would terrify the h3ll out of audiences.

  • @Jatheus

    @Jatheus

    5 ай бұрын

    @@hoppytoad79 Well, when you put it that way, haha.... so ... to clarify... fake terror and violence, fun... real terror and violence... horrifying. :0)

  • @TM-yn4iu
    @TM-yn4iu5 ай бұрын

    Before the end, so... the digestive timeline for crocodiles is a bit long, hence it would probably take one for each victim in short sequence. Great video.

  • @AnnaAnna-uc2ff
    @AnnaAnna-uc2ff5 ай бұрын

    Thanks

  • @BigGahmBoss
    @BigGahmBoss5 ай бұрын

    I had never heard of this story. I'm here cuz I watch this channel and all its videos

  • @geographicstravel

    @geographicstravel

    5 ай бұрын

    And who isn't scared of the death roll?

  • @BigGahmBoss

    @BigGahmBoss

    5 ай бұрын

    @@geographicstravel it's funny Karl mentioned that, because my friends and I joke all the time that we're going to gator roll each other into the Potomac. Even though I'm not 100% sure gators do the roll as well, and none of us live in Washington DC lol

  • @guidorotunda1321
    @guidorotunda13215 ай бұрын

    Another apex predator is the great white shark

  • @geographicstravel

    @geographicstravel

    5 ай бұрын

    Orcas are quickly climbing the ranks as they wage their war against luxury yachts.

  • @archstanton6102

    @archstanton6102

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@geographicstravelCheering for the Orcas on this battle.

  • @hoppytoad79
    @hoppytoad795 ай бұрын

    I can believe *some* soldiers were taken out by the salties. Absolutely, no doubts in my mind at all. How many became CrocChow is known only to the crocs and their victims. Venomous snakes, insects, and arachnids also claimed victims, and viruses and bacteria also did the Allies a favor. ;) It wouldn't surprise me if some soldiers, on high alert for crocs while trekking through the swamps, went into panic mode when they heard a Mystery Noise or mistook a log for a croc, did Something Stoopid, and ended up drowning when their boots and/or their feet/legs became stuck in the mud (especially when the light was low), causing them to REALLY flip out and hurry their imminent demise.

  • @ColinPetersen-sh3ng
    @ColinPetersen-sh3ng4 ай бұрын

    Here because I never heard of it, good job tracking down the interviews with the native people

  • @Zcp105
    @Zcp1053 ай бұрын

    I don't believe that crocodiles killed japanese troops by the hundreds at ramree, but in that part of the world, I can't imagine how an entire regiment, including the sick and wounded, struggling through mangrove swamps wouldn't have attracted the attention of at least a few crocs. At which point, a few attacks seem pretty likely. Maybe after enough rifle fire, the crocs would've been scared away.

  • @nssmithtx1
    @nssmithtx15 ай бұрын

    Idk if anyone's told you lately, Karl, but you're doing a great job. I want to be like you when I grow up.

  • @Man-Made-of-wood

    @Man-Made-of-wood

    5 ай бұрын

    I find him annoying

  • @djdrack4681
    @djdrack46815 ай бұрын

    Next Karl talks about where mokele-mbembe is...and the likelihood of there being long necks in the congo swamps.

  • @MadJustin7
    @MadJustin75 ай бұрын

    "Interim host" Just make it official. You're doing a great job.

  • @BruceBoyde
    @BruceBoyde5 ай бұрын

    I had never heard of this and am perfectly happy to hear that murder logs probably didn't kill 500-1000 people.

  • @harryshriver6223
    @harryshriver6223Ай бұрын

    I am just wondering if anyone can still see the Japanese survivors of Ramree Island for any truth to the matter?

  • @bnorris8625
    @bnorris86255 ай бұрын

    20:45 I clicked on it and was expecting it but I am not disappointed at being shown a different and correct view

  • @GhostTrueCapitalist
    @GhostTrueCapitalist7 күн бұрын

    True or not... just imagine being a British soldier, you and your men are on guard at night and hear screams from a distance and then silence... I ain't sleeping that night

  • @Bubbaist
    @Bubbaist5 ай бұрын

    I’m pretty sure it’s not called Ramree by the Burmese, as the Burmese language doesn’t have an “R.” That’s why they call Rangoon “Yangon” when speaking Burmese.

  • @yankeecrazy9

    @yankeecrazy9

    5 ай бұрын

    It’s called Yanbye Island in Burmese

  • @fabricdragon
    @fabricdragon4 ай бұрын

    never heard of it before, actually

  • @zaco-km3su
    @zaco-km3su5 ай бұрын

    So there was an attack but it was only 10 to 15 soldiers. Things got exaggerated later on, especially with dead bodies being consumed by crocodiles.

  • @jordanhelton2409
    @jordanhelton24095 ай бұрын

    Why has there been an interim host?

  • @billabong9215

    @billabong9215

    5 ай бұрын

    Other guy had a huge falling out with the channel owner seemingly, probably to do with contracts.... This guy stepped in to help out but the channel is dying a slow, painful death.

  • @jordanhelton2409

    @jordanhelton2409

    5 ай бұрын

    @@billabong9215 I thought simon was the channel owner

  • @billabong9215

    @billabong9215

    5 ай бұрын

    @jordanhelton2409 As far as I'm aware a woman owns the channel. I could be totally wrong but from listening to Simon and Carl. There was a conflict of interest and now Simon is bound by a non-disclosure clause. I like Carl, just wish he'd slow down and the videos where 5 minutes longer.

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430
    @danielsantiagourtado34305 ай бұрын

    Suggestion karl! Orka!

  • @julieours4135
    @julieours41355 ай бұрын

    Murder log 😂

  • @goosenotmaverick1156

    @goosenotmaverick1156

    5 ай бұрын

    It got me too 😂

  • @georgegillett6059
    @georgegillett60593 ай бұрын

    Donkey documentary next? History of random islands like Kerguelen?

  • @LazloVimes
    @LazloVimes5 ай бұрын

    Please stop saying interim, you’re ours and here for good :)

  • @deniseatkins9407
    @deniseatkins94075 ай бұрын

    Murder logs lol yeah half a dozen I will expect but 500 nope great video

  • @deborahdanhauer8525
    @deborahdanhauer85255 ай бұрын

    I had never heard of this. I can’t think of much worse than being eaten alive by a crocodile. Gives me shivers.😳🐝

  • @ravensdotter6843
    @ravensdotter68435 ай бұрын

    But, you'd have needed a baseline bio survey of the croc population, and if the surveyors (had there been any) got eaten, well, catch 22.

  • @ElicBehexan
    @ElicBehexan5 ай бұрын

    I've heard about the ship, but I've never seen Jaws and I don't plan on ever seeing it... oh, and I was around when it first came out but I hate horror movies, so....

  • @Cypriniuscarpio
    @Cypriniuscarpio5 ай бұрын

    Wher can i get those Shirt!?

  • @ThroughTheThornvine
    @ThroughTheThornvine5 ай бұрын

    love the dino shirt

  • @oscar3114mike
    @oscar3114mike4 ай бұрын

    I thought it was a mugger crocodile, not a saltie

  • @michaelstagar4254
    @michaelstagar42545 ай бұрын

    Bring back Simon.

  • @geographicstravel

    @geographicstravel

    5 ай бұрын

    He left. He's not coming back.

  • @v.emiltheii-nd.8094
    @v.emiltheii-nd.80945 ай бұрын

    Murder log? *remembers the Tvtropes page of some guy writing sth in their diary while getting eaten by a crocodile*

  • @fabricdragon
    @fabricdragon4 ай бұрын

    Oh, while i dont think the crocs took hundreds (maybe a dozen or so) they DO NOT need to be the full grown massive bulls to do it. there are confirmed reports of crocodilians that are 8 to ten feet long drowning adult humans.

  • @prusak26
    @prusak265 ай бұрын

    The scariest thing is that a guy can be paid presumably livingish wage for reading from a script on a laptop. Because he can read.

  • @kddicks5115
    @kddicks51155 ай бұрын

    Never heard of this…thought I’d throw that out first😉 so many things to thank the internet for. Unfortunately, it has also encouraged and fed the rabbit hole. I mean there are people making FLAT EARTH content…anything for a buck!!🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️😂 And ditto on the crocs, brother!! 😬😬😬

  • @Nefville
    @Nefville5 ай бұрын

    I'm all for a new face in the Simon Whistler Multiverse. Its canon now.

  • @jameshall1300

    @jameshall1300

    5 ай бұрын

    It's really just Simon from a parallel universe. I'm waiting for Crocosimon.

  • @blackhawk2302
    @blackhawk23024 ай бұрын

    It did happen. However, disease, exhaustion and starvation killed more troops than the crocs.

  • @andymcneil7085
    @andymcneil70855 ай бұрын

    I see you have the same producer as Simon from other channels.

  • @Tsuki17

    @Tsuki17

    5 ай бұрын

    Simon used to host this channel as well.

  • @aceundead4750
    @aceundead47505 ай бұрын

    Your aerodynamic predecessor covered this on one of his million channels, he and his team came to the same conclusion as y'all.

  • @mrdgenerate
    @mrdgenerate4 ай бұрын

    Damn... Karl sold out and went for some of that Whistler money...

  • @l.w.febock6861
    @l.w.febock68615 ай бұрын

    Jim Beam!

  • @murrayscott9546
    @murrayscott95465 ай бұрын

    Were any Japanese survivors interviewed ? Sounds like a place for some investigational eco-tourism. A week, maybe ? Some day-hikes ? Let's go !

  • @terrafirma5327
    @terrafirma53275 ай бұрын

    Karl: "I hope I am pronouncing this correctly" Simon: "This word is stupid. English is stupid. The British empire is the worst. I pronounce how I want."

  • @stephenchappell7512

    @stephenchappell7512

    4 ай бұрын

    'The British Empire is the worst' or most successful....??

  • @trli7117
    @trli71175 ай бұрын

    ⛏️ FOR KARL! 🪨💎

  • @andrewellisonlee
    @andrewellisonlee4 ай бұрын

    You lost me at Carrel Smallwood.

  • @Edgar-dp5qu
    @Edgar-dp5qu5 ай бұрын

    Bring back simon

  • @davebarrowcliffe1289
    @davebarrowcliffe12895 ай бұрын

    Rangoon and Burma will do just fine... 😃 👍

  • @RaxxosFusedTeeth
    @RaxxosFusedTeeth4 ай бұрын

    Fact fiend!!!

  • @invictus2578
    @invictus25785 ай бұрын

    Crocodiles are smart the migrate to different places for food if they know there’s a food source they’ll go there and the fact that they can swim in the ocean it’s not that hard to think that this actually happened especially since the war was years long

  • @christerprestberg3973
    @christerprestberg39735 ай бұрын

    OwO, juwst some huwngwy sawtwatew cowcodiwes ^^

  • @murrayscott9546
    @murrayscott95465 ай бұрын

    It's not urban, for starters.

  • @jasonkurt1958
    @jasonkurt19585 ай бұрын

    bwahahaha death roll!!

  • @billabong9215
    @billabong92155 ай бұрын

    Also... 8 out 15 of the last videos have been American based. Change it up people

  • @ignitionfrn2223
    @ignitionfrn22235 ай бұрын

    2:25 - Chapter 1 - The island 3:40 - Chapter 2 - The war 5:45 - Chapter 3 - An ancient threat 8:40 - Chapter 4 - Birth of a legend 14:35 - Chapter 5 - Getting an answer 16:40 - Chapter 6 - Ramree today 20:10 - Chapter 7 - What makes a legend 21:45 - Conclusion PS: Mmmh, this sounds like a good idea for *Decoding the Unknown*

  • @hectorlumbagoCringe
    @hectorlumbagoCringe2 ай бұрын

    Lots of simps in this comment section

  • @robertcowie1355
    @robertcowie13555 ай бұрын

    Where is Simon

  • @heidinolen873
    @heidinolen8735 ай бұрын

    I'm sorry, but it's NOT THE SAME without Simon. Seriously, your fine but he was better.

  • @Crismans843

    @Crismans843

    5 ай бұрын

    I disagree. I can’t watch “Simon” videos. He oozes pretentiousness.

  • @Tsuki17

    @Tsuki17

    5 ай бұрын

    Where did Simon go?

  • @Cordelia0704p

    @Cordelia0704p

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@Tsuki17I was wondering the same

  • @heidinolen873

    @heidinolen873

    5 ай бұрын

    If I'd found this guy organically, he'd be awesome. But I thought it was Simon. Don't know what happened.

  • @jboss119

    @jboss119

    5 ай бұрын

    Who cares? im a fan of the content not the host. This guy is fine and does a good job

  • @Oldwhiteguy
    @Oldwhiteguy5 ай бұрын

    This bs is the first time I’ve ever heard that number. Who says it was 500? Click bait grifter.

  • @Oldwhiteguy
    @Oldwhiteguy5 ай бұрын

    “ The script “ that speaks volumes. What a waste of twenty minutes, he’s said nothing.

  • @resileaf9501

    @resileaf9501

    5 ай бұрын

    What, you think videos on a given subject should be done unscripted?

  • @landotter
    @landotter5 ай бұрын

    horrific.😮🪖🐊

  • @guyplachy9688
    @guyplachy96885 ай бұрын

    There were also the reports of wounded Japanese soldiers being taken by crocodiles whilst trying to get past Australian troops through the mangroves around Buna, Gona & Sanananda during the New Guinea campaign. These are generally confirmed as there were multiple witnesses on both sides, however, they were probably in the order of a few dozen, at most, rather than hundreds.