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SUNDAY MAIL (Harare, Zimbabwe) 21 June 08 Freed from jaws of crocodile (Sarah Tikiwa)
A Harare woman, Dorothy Mukwengwa — a survivor of a vicious crocodile attack — cannot understand how she fended herself from the water aggressor.
In February this year, Mukwengwa, who works for Crest Breeders, crossed Mukuvisi River, in the company of her uncle, en route to Glen View to buy some mealie-meal.
Residents who live on both sides of the river often use the same crossing point. Soon after shopping, they were on their way back to the company.
As they approached the river, her uncle stopped to roll up his trousers. In the meantime, she stepped into the water, which reached knee level.
It was around 3pm. The river was still; as was the surrounding environment. There was no sign of danger. Not a speck of suspicion crossed her mind. But immediately after stepping into the water, a sudden and powerful splash went up into her eyes.
The giant reptile had announced its presence, quickly making its intentions to turn her into lunch known. Before she could figure out what was happening, the crocodile swept its powerful tail against her right leg, apparently intending to knock her down.
"The reptile then took me by the waist and tried to drown me. But I resisted. I thought I was going to die, but I put my life in God’s hands. I managed to hold on, although I do not remember how I fought back," she said.
After losing the initial stages of the battle, the giant reptile switched its superiority in water into top gear. With great agility, it manoeuvred itself into a striking position.
"It immediately went for my right arm," she said, her eyes reflecting the alarm and terror that filled them during the attack. "I could feel the crocodile slipping but it kept coming back. I could not even scream."
The crocodile sunk its daggers deep into Mukwengwa’s arm. She imagined this was the end. But her uncle later became the hero who emerged from the shadows.
Armed with a dry reed, he promptly leapt into the river and stabbed the crocodile in the eye with considerable might. The reptile was forced to immediately let go of Mukwengwa and retreated into the safety of the river.
Mukwengwa’s battle with the crocodile is just one of many that have claimed the lives of both humans and animals throughout the country. Though statistics were not readily available at the time of going to print, scores of people have lost their lives after being attacked by crocodiles.
Mukwengwa was lucky to survive. But this was only after her attacker had left ugly scars of the battle on her body. Blood oozed from her arm and leg, forming a small red rivulet in the river. She was in so much pain, yet determined to live as her uncle lifted her to safety.
She might have survived, but she still cannot understand how she freed herself from the water aggressor.
"People shouldn’t cross there because it has become very dangerous," she said from her hospital bed recently.
Mashonaland West provincial police spokesman Inspector Paul Nyathi said several other crocodile attacks involving illegal fishermen had been reported in the province since last year.
"Our figures show that people are being attacked in Lake Chivero and Darwendale," said Inspector Nyathi.
Sometime last year, a 19-year-old man died after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming with his friend in Darwendale Dam. In yet another incident, a 14-year-old girl, who said she did not scream during the ordeal, survived a crocodile attack by clinging onto the root of a tree.
A recent visit by The Sunday Mail crew to the Crocodile Farm in Victoria Falls provided some insight into this vicious reptile.
A tour guide at the farm, Thulani Dube, said standing still during an attack can save one’s life. The crocodile is likely to think the still object is a log.
"The first thing the crocodile does is to ascertain if its prey is truly a moving being. It taps first on its prey to determine movement. If one remains still, it will think it’s a log and moves away," said Dube.
He said to save one’s life during an attack, one must hit the crocodile hard on its nose which is extremely sensitive. The reptile will immediately let go of its prey.
Though a crocodile has a 360-degree vision, it cannot see beyond 100 metres. It uses its belly to feel vibrations and to stay on the guard. Although it has four senses, it lacks the sense of taste.
A crocodile can stay under water for up to six hours without breathing and has a small brain that does not need a lot of oxygen. It has 66 teeth and can shed them 45 times in a lifetime.
Each crocodile can lay up to 20 000 eggs a year whose incubation period is a year. They grow up to six metres and can live up to a 100 years. They are cold-blooded animals, with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.
They have three types of movements on land. They can walk like a lizard, crawl like a snake or gallop like a horse.
Crocodiles do not chew but rather swallow their food and the acid in the stomach, which resembles a battery’s, dissolves the prey, including the bones, with speed.
Those which live in rivers and dams feed mainly on fish, but those reared at crocodile farms are fed on elephant meat. They can even feed on their young ones.
An official at Harare Central Hospital, where a number of survivors of crocodile attacks were admitted, said people should exercise caution when approaching water bodies.
"We appeal to fish poachers to desist from their illegal activities, as this is not only against the law, but also opens them up to crocodile attacks," Harare Central Hospital spokesperson Mrs Monica Mukotsanjera said.
She said crocodile attack cases were most prevalent during the rainy season.
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesman Retired Major Edward Mbewe said fish poachers were vulnerable to crocodile attacks. This is because they, for fear of getting caught, avoid parks officers, and venture into crocodile territory without sound advice. He called on prospective fishermen to seek the authority’s permission before venturing onto the river. "People should shun crocodile-infested areas and should also avoid getting into the river as this is very dangerous," he said
According to Rtd Major Mbewe, crocodiles often venture into fish-breeding areas. The same areas are also no doubt popular with fishermen, turning them into the ultimate predators’ paradise.
The man hunts the fish and the crocodile the man, in a food chain that often leaves the man worse off.
Freed from jaws of crocodile

20,000 eggs a year and they take a year to incubate? D.C.

That wasn't the only ridiculous thing in the article. Every sentence was absurd. It tried to knock her down with its tail before attacking her? Come on. Hahaha