A 25-year-old woman from Nkonke village narrowly escaped the jaws of a crocodile while doing laundry at the river, in a harrowing incident that has left the community shaken.
Marianne Masanga recounted the terrifying moment when she was attacked by a crocodile while at the river with her baby. “I didn’t see how it came to me. I was just washing clothes, and the next thing I knew, I was in its jaws,” she said.
According to Masanga, she and the crocodile struggled for several moments. “We pulled against each other. I was lucky it only tore some flesh from where it bit me. That’s how I managed to escape,” she recalled. Bleeding and frightened, she rushed out of the water.
However, the danger was not over. The crocodile returned, this time targeting her baby who had remained near the water. In a brave move, Masanga ran back, picked up her child, and fled while the crocodile gave chase. “I called for help, but there was no one else at the river,” she added.
Now recovering from her injuries, Masanga is calling on the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to assist her and to take action to prevent future attacks. She urged authorities to consider drilling boreholes in the area so that villagers no longer have to rely on the river, which has become increasingly dangerous.
“This is not the first time. Many people have died from crocodile attacks. Something must be done,” she said.
