A schoolgirl is feared to be dead following a Crocodile attack in Homa Bay County, Kenya. Veronica Achieng’ of Rachong’ Village was bathing in the River Kuja, close to Lake Victoria, on Friday 8 February 2019, when she was seized by the animal. A subsequent search by local people failed to find her, and resulted in a second attack, when one of the searchers, George Odongo, 37, disturbed another (or possibly the same) Crocodile and received a severe bite to his right thigh.
The River Kuja in Homa Bay County. Tiwaine Ole Nchoko/Twitter.
Lake Victoria is home to a large population of Nile Crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus,
which are considered to be a high risk to Humans in the area, with
frequent stories of fatal attacks in nations around the lake. A rising
Human population appears to be fuelling this conflict, with people
becoming more dependant on the lake for water, with many villagers
calling for more governmental investment in
borehole-drilling projects, which will enable them to spend less time
close to the Crocodile-infested waters.
The approximate location of the 8 February 2019 Crocodile attack. Google Maps.
Nile Crocodiles are considered to be of Least Concern under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species,
but are still protected in many countries, due to
historic hunting which decimated populations in many areas. However, the
rising number of attacks on Humans by the animals has led to calls for
regulated hunting to be introduced to control the population.
See also...
Follow Sciency Thoughts on
Facebook.