Kenya: Two Killed By Crocs As They Fetch Water



The Nation (Nairobi)

10 September 2008
Posted to the web 11 September 2008

Galgalo Bocha And John Njagi
Nairobi

Two women were killed and a herdsman seriously injured when they were attacked by crocodiles in separate incidents in Tana River District.

The women were attacked while fetching water from a crocodile-infested river. The herdsman was attacked while grazing cattle near a lake.


Remains of the women, residents of Mwanja and Ozi villages in Kipini Division, were by Wednesday yet to be recovered. Relatives were still searching for them.

Mr Dube Salim, a villager, told the Nation that in the first incident, several women had gone to the river. One of them, she said, went down with a bucket as others remained on the riverbank.

"The ones who had remained on the bank heard screams after their colleague was attacked and dragged down the river by the reptile," Mr Salim said.

He added that the rest of the women fled.

When villagers rushed to the river, Mr Salim said, the crocodile had already disappeared with the victim.

In the second incident in Ozi Village, the woman was attacked when she and others went to fetch water.

She was attacked as she went up the bank after collecting water. The injured herdsman is admitted to Malindi District Hospital. He was attacked in Samicha area in Kipini. Sources said he was rescued by fellow herders who responded to his distress call.

Tana River police boss Iregi Ngatia said he had not yet received reports of the attacks.

That seems like it would be an awful way to go. Maybe that's why I like hunting crocs and gators so much.

Years ago (1985?) one of our Bumi workers in the Omo Camp went down to the river to wash the honey off of his hands. We never saw him again.
Rich Elliott

It would be a very awful way to go. Interestingly enough, in the first story all of the others waited while the victim "tested" the waters. Man or beast, the drill seems to be the same for either two or four-legged victims and for the crocs.