KAMUTJONGA – Annastasia Nyiru (24) is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of her baby.

Her baby, who was nine months old at the time, was snatched by a crocodile over a month ago while she was doing laundry along the banks of the Kavango River at Kamutjonga village.

On Friday, she gathered her strength to narrate the events of that fateful day to New Era as she slowly starts piercing the shattered pieces of her life.

Nyiru described the incident of 29 September as horrific.

 Despite a gallant attempt to save her baby from the jaws of the reptile, she lost out and had to helplessly watch it sail off and disappear into the waters with her baby.

“I went with my cousin to do laundry at the river. When we finished doing laundry, we were resting a bit under a tree some metres away from the river. 

By that time, I was breastfeeding my baby. The baby relieved himself, and I went to the banks of the river to clean him. While I was doing that, the crocodile just appeared,’’ she narrated. 

“By the time I was about to run away, the crocodile grabbed my child by the buttocks. I wrested to try and save him, and then I fell while still holding on to my child. The crocodile snatched him and went in the river. That was the last time I saw him. I couldn’t make it to save him,’’ she said

Nyiru told New Era that the authorities went on a crocodile hunt after the incident, hoping to recover her baby’s body.  

“They killed two crocodiles, and they found bones inside. In the other one, they found a spinal bone. We are now waiting for DNA results,” she said.

New Era also caught up with Frans Thikusho, who lost his niece in the same manner on 25 October. 

“My sister went to the river with the children to do laundry. Just as they were preparing to go home, the incident happened,” he said

“My niece went to pick the basket to go and put in the washed blankets. The mother just heard a big splash, which signalled the arrival of the crocodile. When she turned, the crocodile was out of the water and had already caught the child by the feet. It dragged her into the water,’’ Thikusho said.

Some residents of several villages in Mukwe constituency on Friday, in light of the recent crocodile attacks, held a peaceful demonstration. 

They handed their petition to Mukwe constituency councillor Damian Maghambayi at the ministry of environment offices at Kamutjonga village.

Just like other villages along the Kavango River, villages in Mukwe constituency have over the years battled with human-wildlife conflict along the river, mainly with crocodiles and hippo attacks.

 Countless lives have been lost.

On Friday, the villagers petitioned the environment ministry to address perennial crocodile attacks.  The petition, supported by Maghambayi, highlighted the rising number of attacks, with most victims being young people.  “This is one of the very touching petitions that I have ever received so far. This demonstrates the pain that the community are suffering. You can see the majority is the young people, and they are the ones losing lives. 

“Since I took office, I have battled with issues of human wildlife conflict. Some were told to open their bank accounts, and nothing happened. This petition will be delivered today to the relevant ministry,” Maghambayi said.

He further highlighted the need for awareness. “We, the residents of Mukwe constituency, are writing to you today to express our grave concern and petition for immediate and decisive action regarding the rising threat of crocodile attacks in our communities.

The safety of our families, pets and visitors is our highest priority. The current management approach is insufficient. We petition you to take proactive steps to reduce the risk of human-crocodile conflict,’’ said Anton Thinata Mukoya, who read the petition on behalf of the petitioners.

Mukoya said their communities have experienced fatal attacks, an increase in close calls, loss of livestock and loss of human lives. 

The presence of crocodiles in areas frequently used by humans for fishing, swimming, bathing and recreation has created a dangerous and unacceptable risk.

“This situation has reached a point of no return. We demand decisive action from government. While we respect the need for wildlife conservation, this issue can no longer be ignored. We must act now to prevent further tragedy and create a safer coexistence for both humans and wildlife,’’ he said.

The petition calls for immediate action by the government to manage the crocodile population, potentially including culling problem animals. 

It calls for the formation of a dedicated emergency team to manage human-wildlife conflict cases effectively as well as improved public awareness campaigns regarding the dangers posed by wildlife. 

Moreover, the residents want timely and fair compensation for the families of victims. 

– jmuyamba@nepc.com.na