ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL (Lusaka) 28 December 13 Man wins battle against croc (Chapadongo Lungu and Brian Malama)

A middle-aged man of Mukonchi in Kapiri Mposhi recently survived a crocodile attack on Lunsemfwa River, where he had gone on a routine fishing expedition.

With five breams in the basket and increasing prospects for more in the whispering waters of the river, Moses Kachunsi was assured of a delicious meal, but so was the crocodile.

Sun-basking on the rocks a few metres away, the reptile stealthily moved towards Mr Kachunsi, whom it swatted with its tail and dragged him into the river.

With his head in its mouth, Mr Kachunsi, 20, guided by survival instinct, refused to give up on life as he fought back in all forms of defence.

“I punched it, kicked it and shouted,” he said. “It threw me deep into the water and brought me to the surface. It did that three times but I never stopped beating it.”

“The next thing I remember is that it threw me back to the edge of the river and I was bleeding all over. Up to now, I don’t know how I survived … it was just God’s intervention. God wanted me to celebrate this year’s Christmas. I am sure He has a purpose for my life in 2014,” Mr Kachunsi said.

Naomi Millburn, an expert on reptiles, says crocodiles are no jokes when it comes to jaw power.

“Their bite force has been confirmed at 3,700 pounds per square inch. You might think of tigers and lions as being equally formidable predators, but their bite forces are significantly less impressive – think roughly 1,000 psi.

“Bite force in humans usually tops out at about 200 psi. Saltwater crocodiles not only have the most powerful bites in the crocodile world, they’re also the biggest of them all,” she says.

Mr Kachunsi was rushed to Mukonchi Hospital, where he was treated for wounds he sustained. He had lacerations in the neck which required stitching.

An Anglican, Mr Kachunsi is now a devout Christian and leader of the choir group. He was reluctant to confirm that he has a fiancée he hopes to marry soon.

Lunsemfwa River is infested with crocodiles which usually prey on livestock and people. An eight-year-old boy was killed up the river at Mita Hills dam.

Two Zambia Wildlife Authority officers were early this week deployed in the area to assess the situation.

Crocodiles are not the only predators. A 12-year-old boy was recently attacked by a python while herding cattle on the banks of the river.

Chibale Musonda was captured and shouted for help, narrated his father, Godfrey.

“I ran to the scene and wrestled with the python. The boy was almost suffocating and I was equally tired. After about 40 minutes, a neighbour came with a hoe and cut the python’s tail. That’s how it let go and that’s how my boy survived,” said Godfrey.
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