Crocs kill 3 near Zambezi River
01/02/2008 10:12 - (SA)


Chemba - Three people were killed while two others were seriously injured after they were attacked by crocodiles near the Chemba administrative post in central Mozambique, state media reported on Friday.

Radio Mozambique said the people were attacked on separate occasions as they bathed in the flooded Zambezi River.

Jorge Daul, Chemba district administrator, told the station that the victims were among the first people to be attacked by the reptiles this year in the district.

Authorities had embarked on awareness programmes to warn people on the danger of bathing in the flooded rivers, which were infested with crocodiles.

In October last year, authorities of Chemba district said that since the beginning of 2007 they had collected more than 13 000 crocodile eggs before they hatched as a way of combating human-animal conflict.

Human-animal conflict

Authorities of that district had resolved to collect the eggs as cases of crocodile attacks had increased over the years.

During the same campaign 17 crocodiles, two hippopotamuses and an elephant were killed after the animals tried to attack officials patrolling the area.

In December last year, the department of forestry and wildlife services in the ministry of agriculture in Zambezia province said crocodiles killed 14 people as they went about their daily chores as fishers or when they went to fetch water in the Zambezi River at the Chinde administrative post located near the river.

This was regarded as one of the highest indices of human-animal conflict registered in recent years.

In Mozambique, crocodiles, elephants, hippopotamuses and lions were among problem animals, which had killed people in what authorities labelled as human-animal conflict.

Apparently infuriated by the increase in the number of attacks on people, the government authorised the national army to shoot problem animals.



News24

ah - crocs - one of the solutions to the overpopulation problem

Here's the same report from the BBC website:

Mozambique crocodiles kill three

Crocodiles have killed three people and injured two others near the central Mozambique town of Chemba, according to news reports.
The victims are said to have been attacked while bathing in the flooded Zambezi river.

Serious flooding this month has driven many of the reptiles from their usual river habitats.

Last year the authorities launched a campaign to collect crocodile eggs from the Zambezi to combat the attacks.

Meteorologists have warned that rain from a developing offshore cyclone could sweep across affected areas in the next few days, which is expected to further swell floodwaters.

Hunting crocs on the Zambezi is about as much fun as a hunter can have. They probably take more than 3 people a week.
Here's PH Marc Harper with my croc from that area. We "semi-perfected" a technique of cruising down the middle, spotting a big croc sunning, and coming back in close-to-the-bank, then right-angling into the croc's head. For a split-second , the croc did not know what to do, and provided a shot for the hunter who was standing in the fore of the small V-bottom.,


We also speared crocs at night with Stephen Edwards,who had canoeed the length of the Zambezi alone-years ago, but he should tell that story.

quote:

Authorities had embarked on awareness programmes to warn people on the danger of bathing in the flooded rivers, which were infested with crocodiles.

"Awareness programmes"? Sometimes it may just be best to let Darwin do his work.

Affirmative Sir!!

A Croc breeding prgram might be a better use of available resources.

headed to Coutada 10 on the Zambezi delta in Sept. on a croc hunt. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

Everytime we eat croc in camp, I get this funny feeling about who the croc ate before I ate him, cannabalism by proxy??? Maybe I will stick to warthog from now on..