The below story surprised me. I thought Mugabe had a comfortable lead.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Crocodiles took a narrow lead over elephants as the most dangerous animal to man in Zimbabwe this year, a conservation group reported Wednesday.

Crocodiles dragged away 13 people -- including children -- and ate them in the first 10 months of 2005, according to the Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources, known as Campfire.

Elephants charged and trampled 12 others, including some villagers trying to protect their crops from the giant herbivores who eat an average 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of fodder a day as adults, the group said in its annual report.

Buffaloes and hippopotamuses, also considered among Africa's most dangerous animals, killed one person apiece bringing the total to 27.

Lions are reported to have killed 17 cattle belonging to a traditional leader in western Zimbabwe in November, but there were no fatal attacks on humans. Rogue lions who acquire a taste for human prey are usually hunted down.

The Campfire group was founded after independence from Britain in 1980 to promote the management of wildlife and use of wildlife products in sparsely populated areas. The report is part of its efforts to educate remote communities about the dangers of animal attacks.

"Most of the time there is no recognition of that fact, that communities are always on the front line of the battle between man and beast," said Campfire director Charles Jonga.

Crocodiles prey on villagers who fish and wash in rivers and lakes, conservationists say. Elephants can become enraged when confronted by people, or when females are separated from their young. Buffalos and hippos can also attack when disturbed.

I thought this thread was about Mugabe...

This doesn't seem right to me, but I may be mistaken. Wasn't Bob Fontana, and some artist up by Vic Falls both killed by buff this year?

That's at least two I know of in the buff catagory. I could be wrong on the dates though...

Fontana I believe was killed in Tanzania

Fontana was killed by an unwounded buffalo while hunting Lesser Kudu in Tanzania. Noted wildlife artist, Simon Combes was killed by a buff while on a walk in Kenya. Neither were in Zimbabwe.

quote:

Originally posted by Marterius:
I thought this thread was about Mugabe...

These stats are only for the tribal areas that are members of the CAMPFIRE programme and do not include PH's, tourists and locals in other areas.

it is about uncle bob - oops - my mistake - he just looks like a fat old hippo

Lhook7

The figure about crocs doesn't surprise me. In fact, from what I was told in the Chirisa district of Zimbabwe (about a dozen years ago) the number -along with the other figures - are very low. The sad fact of the matter is that stats are very slow in coming, if at all, out of the real African "bush" - those huge areas where there are no paved roads (and not even dirt roads) nor telephone or electric poles. I was personally warned not to approach any water hole closely - in fact, to stay at least 6 feet back. (It was right after the rainy season had ended and these waterholes were often like small lakes or large ponds) I heard of leopard snatching of babies put down by their mothers while she washed clothes. I saw matriarch elephants who ran me out of their sight. I don't think that if I had hung around they wanted me to feed them peanuts! There's one other critter not mentioned on your list - the puff adder -which has an unpleasant habit of lying on foot paths after dark (because the heat lasts longer there)Many local people die every year from puff adder bites or so I was told. I don't think anybody was lying to me about these matters (I heard it from white and black people alike) - and, in the case of elephant, I personally developed a very healthy respect for the matriarch who was ordering me to vacate the premises! Also, I was about 30 miles from the Zambezi river and was told that hippo often wandered as much as a half dozen miles from the river at night. In fact, the very night I spent in Johannesburg before going on to Zimbabwe, I read of a young man castrated (totally)along with losing a leg to a hippo. You know why I saw that story in the newspaper? Because it happened to a young white man. Local people in Zimbabwe being maimed or even killed by wild animals and snakes were not "news" at that time. I'm not sure if anything has changed) It truly is a different world in the bush.

I'm certainly not an expert having only 3 trips under my belt but I have a strong opinion about the most dangerous animal in all of africa. Hands down it is the African driver. It seems to be a point of pride to not wear seat belts and go flying down dirt roads at 50 miles an hour with six or more unrestrained passengers, dodging donkey carts, school children, bicycles and pot holes. It seems to get worse when you get into the cities.

I've had the Privilege??? of a short range charge by a cow elephant. That was frightening but it was over in a few seconds. The white knuckled, teeth clinching fear that I have had while in the different trucks and cars has been a lot worse.

There is no doubt that wild animals kill a lot of people but they don't hold a candle to the wildest most dangerous of all the african critters the african driver.



I envy paranoids. They have the luxury of thinking that someone is paying attention to them.

quote:

Originally posted by els:
I'm certainly not an expert having only 3 trips under my belt but I have a strong opinion about the most dangerous animal in all of africa. Hands down it is the African driver. It seems to be a point of pride to not wear seat belts and go flying down dirt roads at 50 miles an hour with six or more unrestrained passengers, dodging donkey carts, school children, bicycles and pot holes. It seems to get worse when you get into the cities.

I've had the Privilege??? of a short range charge by a cow elephant. That was frightening but it was over in a few seconds. The white knuckled, teeth clinching fear that I have had while in the different trucks and cars has been a lot worse.

There is no doubt that wild animals kill a lot of people but they don't hold a candle to the wildest most dangerous of all the african critters the african driver.



I envy paranoids. They have the luxury of thinking that someone is paying attention to them.

That's a good one Ernie...

And very true!

Most dangerous animal in Zim? I would say it is a toss up between a) the client/hunter who thinks he knows everything there ever was to know about safari and is carrying a loaded gun. b) as a well reputed writer, ph, life-long Zimbo told me - tuskless cows (not the ones in the bush, the ones walking the streets of cities).