/ 13 December 2000

Croc attacks claim third victim

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday

CROCODILE attacks have claimed a third victim within a week in South Africa’s muddy, flood-swollen rivers in spite of repeated warnings by game rangers.

In the newest attack, a crocodile killed Sizakele Manyoni (35), who was crossing the Enseleni River in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province at a well-known crossing place on Tuesday morning.

A witness said the large crocodile was standing guard over its victim, making it impossible for police divers to rescue the body.

Police earlier reported that a crocodile killed a woman on Friday as she went for a late-night swim.

Twenty-two year old Tracy Hunt from Johannesburg was swimming with her boyfriend in the Lake Saint Lucia estuary on the east coast when the crocodile pounced, police said.

Her mutilated body was found by fishermen on Saturday at a place called Honeymoon Bend, about 1.5km downstream.

Police and local game rangers told The Star newspaper that Hunt’s boyfriend, Claudio Celestino, witnessed the attack but was helpless to stop the crocodile.

Saint Lucia crocodile centre manager Mark Robertson said that about 1500 to 2000 crocodiles lived in the Saint Lucia wetlands area, while there were some 20 large crocodiles in the estuary close by.

“Our field rangers are also constantly warning people not to swim or wade in the water. Unfortunately many locals ignore the warnings,” he said.

On Wednesday last week, a crocodile killed a 10-year-old boy in the Muthsindudi river in Northern Province.

The boy’s friends threw stones at the crocodile until it let the boy go but he was already dead.

KwaZulu-Natal crocodile expert Mark Robertson said 95% of all crocodile attacks took place between November and April when heavy rains made rivers dirty and the water warmer. It is also the breeding season for the reptiles.

Robertson warned holidaymakers in wilderness areas to not get closer than three metres from the edge of rivers and lakes. – AFP