Six-man-killer crocodile captured in Jinja

Apr 01, 2014

A notorious crocodile which is said to have eaten four people in Jinja and Mayuge districts on the shores of Lake Victoria has been captured alive.

By Donald Kiirya in Jinja

A notorious crocodile which is said to have eaten four people in Jinja and Mayuge districts on the shores of Lake Victoria has been captured alive.  It will be transferred to Murchison falls national park.   

The giant reptile was captured by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) officials Monday after a four- day hunt in Kakira Sub County. 

According to Sulani Tumanya a UWA official, the huge crocodile  was approximately 80 years old. 

“Residents appealed to UWA to hunt the crocodile following the loss of life of a resident of Kakira Town Council in Jinja district,” Tumanya said. 

He said the reptile which they trapped with meat on a hook four days ago after an operation will be transferred to Murchison falls national park.   

John Kamawu, the Kakira town council L.C III chairperson said the reptile recently mauled one Bosco Nyansi adding that residents managed to recover only his clothes they found floating on water. 

Kamawu said that Nyansi who was a resident of Kinyoro-Kiteso village in Kakira Town Council had gone to fish along the shores of Lake Victoria. He left a widow with two children.

He said fishermen had been facing difficulties in fishing on Lake Victoria fearing to be eaten but now since the reptile had been captured, residents are going to resume their fishing activities. 

Residents said the man eater had so far eaten six people from various landing sites which include Wairaka, Rwabitooke, Masese and Wanyange in Jinja district, and Ntinkalu in Mayuge district with Nyansi being the last incident two weeks ago. 

It also maimed several fishermen at various landing sites.  

Over 100 residents from nearby landing sites of Wairaka, Wanyange and Ntinkalu gathered at Kakira landing site to watch the man eater being brought to the shores by UWA officials. 

They were seen peddling their boats from nearby landing sites to come and have a look at the reptile. 

Others felt its body as they kept on touching it endlessly while others looked surprised about its huge size.  

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