18-Year-Old Zambian Boy Killed by Hippo, Crocodiles
2007-05-21 05:46:24 Xinhua

An 18-year-old grade 12 school pupil in Zambia's Southern province was last Friday attacked and killed by a hippo and crocodiles while he was fishing on the Kafue River in a bid to raise money for school fees after being chased away by school authorities.

Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) Sunday quoted Itezhi-tezhi district Police and eye witnesses as confirming the incidence.

Police said Benison Mwaonga had his dug-out canoe hit by a hippo which broke the canoe into half, throwing Mwaonga into the water, where crocodiles also attacked and drowned him.

The tragic incidence happened in full view of the mother to the boy.

Eye witnesses narrated that after the hippo hit the boat, Benison attempted to swim to shore in the midst of crocodiles but the reptiles over-powered him.

Itezhi-tezhi police have since managed to recover some body parts of the victim.

And most parents interviewed by ZANIS condemned the action by the school authorities to send away pupils who fail to pay school fees.

The parents charged that it is not good for the school authorities to be sending away pupils who fail to pay school fees.

"Had it not been for the authorities sending away the young boy, maybe the story would have been different today," they said.

In a related incident, villagers in Babhizi and Batunga villages in the same area have complained about two stray elephants that have been terrorizing their villages.

The villagers told ZANIS in Babhizi that the elephants have eaten and destroyed the unharvested maize crops and sugar cane.

They lamented that the elephants usually invade their villages at night.

The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has since deployed scouts in Babhizi to deal with the jumbos.

It's a very sad ending for a young man who wanted an education so badly.