Omusati crocodile victim was warned to stay away from reptile

A man attacked by a crocodile at Epalela in the Omusati region had been warned by the police to stay away from the reptile, Onesi constituency regional councillor Festus Petrus says.

The man was attacked at Epalela on Saturday.

According to Petrus, the man touched the crocodile with his hand on its back after several other people had grabbed the reptile’s tail and pulled it in their direction.

“The crocodile was initially seen crossing the road near Etaka Dam in the morning, and a taxi driver bumped into it. However, despite being hit, it was still able to defend itself,” Petrus said.

Petrus estimated the crocodile to be about three meters long.

“When the police and I arrived, we warned the public to stay away from the crocodile, but they did not listen. They kept pulling its tail, while others kicked it to check if it was alive,” Petrus recounted.

The crocodile then moved forward into shallow water, and members of the public, including the man bitten later, followed it, he said.

“He was warned to leave the crocodile alone, as he could be attacked. He did not listen. Within the blink of an eye, we heard people screaming and the man’s arm was already in the crocodile’s mouth,” Petrus said.

The man was taken to Outapi Hospital and the crocodile was killed.

Petrus added that this was the third crocodile captured from Etaka this year.