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Kazungula Police have confirmed incidents in which two people survived crocodile attacks near the Chobe River recently. In one incident a Botswana Defence Force soldier was attacked while in the other incident, a 12-year-old boy was involved.
The incident in which a soldier was attacked occurred barely eight days after the one involving a minor. The young boy who was admitted at Kasane Hospital has been discharged while the 30-year old Lance Corporal is still admitted at the same hospital where he is nursing a fractured arm.
In the recent incident, a BDF soldier was attacked by a crocodile at Kazungula BDF camp on the 06th March 2023 at around 0100hrs. According to Kazungula Police Acting Station Commander, Assistant Superintendent Joseph Lepodise, the soldier is based at Glen Valley BDF Camp in Gaborone and he was on an official trip at Kazungula.
The crocodile is said to have crept inside the tent where the victim was sleeping with some of his colleagues and attacked him. The victim was reportedly rescued by his colleagues who shot the crocodile to death.
In the other incident, Lepodise revealed that a 12-yeal old boy who had accompanied her mother for fishing at the same river was also attacked by a crocodile. According to the Asst Supt, as the mother was busy fishing the victim left her to join other kids who were playing by the river.
Out of nowhere the reptile is said to have snatched the minor and attacked him. On being alerted, the mother is reported to have then rushed to the scene and stoned the crocodile which slid back into the water thus allowing the old lady to rescue the young boy.
Police have since urged parents to leave their children home when going for fishing to avoid such similar incidents warning that the Chobe River has deadly water animals.
Meanwhile, Lepodise has also urged members of the community to avoid publishing such incidents on social media without any evidence and full details of what has transpired. He stressed that such behaviour can cause emotional trauma for the families and friends of the victims.
