A few weeks prior to us arriving in Africa. Chriss had sent email
saying that a very large Crocodile had attempted to grab Davey, the
teenage orphan who helps out at Ndevu, mainly by hauling water up
from the river. Luckily the Croc missed.
On our first evening in Lusaka John Monze arrived to say that the
Croc had grabbed a child from the NPWS camp. The child had been
freed by accompanying adults who had hit the Croc on the snout with
axes. John had taken the badly injured kid into the primitive
hospital in Nyimba for treatment.
The Crocodiles final mistake was to get too close to Unit Leader
Morse Manzole himself - who promptly declared it a 'Total Hazard'
Morse called in a professional hunter - who we noticed setting up
on the opposite bank of the river.
We noted that the hunter may have to shoot back towards our camp.
Thus we got John to use his superb African gist of suggestive
persuassion on Unit Leader Morse that, in the event of us seeing the
Croc first, Chriss (a professional hunter himself) should have
permission to shoot the beast. - This was granted!
Two hours later the kitchen staff called Chriss - and BANG the
Croc slid dead off the bank next to camp into the water.
Here two of the staff float the Croc down shallow water to a spot
where it could be hauled out up the river bank into camp.
Piri throws a line to attach to the Croc to float it across the
deep channel in front of camp.
I am exactly 6' tall (1.83m for the metric folks). This gives an
idea of the size of this old Crocodile.
The Landcruiser spun wheels in trying to haul its 2000lbs up the
bank and the Unimog had to be brought in to do the power work.
Loading the Croc onto the Landcruiser to be transported to the
NPWS who (after they got more Ndevu diesel) would take it into Nyimba
to be skinned and made into leather for shoes and handbags.
One more victim of the age old battle between animals doing what
comes naturally and the encroaching humans in their territory.
A few weeks prior to us arriving in Africa. Chriss had sent email
saying that a very large Crocodile had attempted to grab Davey, the
teenage orphan who helps out at Ndevu, mainly by hauling water up
from the river. Luckily the Croc missed.
We noted that the hunter may have to shoot back towards our camp.
Thus we got John to use his superb African gist of suggestive
persuassion on Unit Leader Morse that, in the event of us seeing the
Croc first, Chriss (a professional hunter himself) should have
permission to shoot the beast. - This was granted!
Two hours later the kitchen staff called Chriss - and BANG the
Croc slid dead off the bank next to camp into the water.
Piri throws a line to attach to the Croc to float it across the
deep channel in front of camp.
I am exactly 6' tall (1.83m for the metric folks). This gives an
idea of the size of this old Crocodile.
Loading the Croc onto the Landcruiser to be transported to the
NPWS who (after they got more Ndevu diesel) would take it into Nyimba
to be skinned and made into leather for shoes and handbags.