A one-year-old baby has been killed and eaten by a crocodile in the shallow waters of Kandabwako stream in Chadiza district while her mother is nursing injuries at Saint Francis’ Mission Hospital in Katete where she was referred to after being attacked by the giant reptile.
The incident happened yesterday when Rachael Banda (30) of Chikomba village in chief Mlolo’s area dropped her baby from her back as she struggled to climb a tree in an effort to escape from the reptile’s jaws that left her with severe injuries.
Catherine Banda, who is the sister of the victim, told ZANIS that Rachael was attacked around 15:00hours when she went to the shallow stream to wash her baby’s napkins.
Ms Banda said her sister just felt something pulling her into the water and stated struggling to free herself when eventually she realized that it was a crocodile.
Ms Banda said in an effort to free herself,her sister climbed a tree that was in the water but the reptile leaped and got hold of one leg and that it was at this point that the baby who was strapped at her back dropped into the water and the crocodile caught the child and went away with it.
The victim was only rescued by her parents who were in the nearby field after they heard her shouting for help.
By press time, the victim was found at Chadiza Boma clinic in severe pain and being attended to by the doctor who was so busy that he could not allow both the police and pressmen to get to the bed side.
Rachael sustained a broken left arm, deep multiple cuts on the right hand and deep cuts on both legs.
A team of security officers from the Zambia Police and the Office of the President who rushed to the scene could not find the crocodile.
However, a message has since been sent to the Zambia wild life Authority (ZAWA) in Chipata who are expected to arrive in Chadiza today to crop the reptiles that are found in the shallow streams of Kandabwako.
ZANIS
so sad..kill all the crocodiles..you guys in eastern province voted for PF..has it brought any development..?
what has pf got to do with this you foooooooool
why do you politicise everything??? on the other hand, cropping of animal has a criteria and you cannot kill all the animals. if animals are over populated and encroach on man’s habitat, cropping is undertaken. if man goes into an animal’s habitat, there is no justification to kill it. the criteria is there with ZAWA and other wildlife agencies (international & local)
Ulichipuba kwena iwe! This is not a politicking issue just go and bath!
Why not blame PF and their promises that they will bring water close to villages?
You the PF are the ones to go to hell, muli bacabecabe bashinka manyela!!
Panyo pako you nincompoop. You are a con co mono zygotic imbecile. Why do you bring politics where they do not fit. Were you born froma human being or from a crocodile itself? Foooooooooool!!!!!!
You are the biggest fool. How do you attribute such a tragedy to a political party? Its seems you lack brains.
Even if they didnt vote for PF but the president must done sumthing for the development of the area..
oooh GOD,very SAD. RIP Angel,heaven is yours child.
Ya this is so tragic.Why in this day and age are people forced to go fetch water at dangerous rivers.Where is the MP? didn’t he know the villagers do not have wells and taps?What exactly do MPs,town clerks District commissioners do if I may ask?My heart goes out to the mother.May god heal you and may you find a way to honour your little one who gave up his or life for you. but kwena Zambia is at the same place europe was in 1913.I’m so angry about this.
#1 blacky,uli chipuba sana chi to le. Wanya UPND will rule Zambia.
MY SINCERE CONDOLANCES TO THE VICTIM FAMILY, HOPE THE BABYS MUM FULLY RECOVERS SOON.SO SORRY FOR THE LITTLE ANGLE KILLED BY THIS CRUEL MONSTER.PEEOPLE KNOW THE DANGERS THAT LURKS IN ALL RIVERS OF AFRICA WHICH ARE FULLY CROC INVEFESTED BUT STILL MANY PEOPLE DONT LEARN TO AVOID IT. CROCS NORMALLY PREFER SHALLOW WATERS AND ONE SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT EVEN IN A SMALL SHALLOW STREAM A CROC COULD BE FOUND. RIP MY BABY
‘Angle’ or ‘Angel’.
Poor woman, so very sad to lose a baby at the hands of such a brutal reptile. What has happened to cropping these animals, surely they are not supposed to be near humans are fetching water. There is need to insure that those shallow waters are inspected before letting people go near them.
Honestly, Sinking I borehole costs about kr25000. Such water is clean and fit for human consumption. It could also be used for washing. Why do we have to let our people cntinue relying on dirt stream waters? We need to mature and measure up as country by doing something. I urge all Zambians to rise up to any government, now and in future and challenge them to prioritise development above by elections and suppressing each other. Shame
A team of security officers from the Zambia Police and the Office of the President who rushed to the scene could not find the crocodile.
Did these chaps honestly expect the crocodile to sit and wait for them come and shoot it.
These reptiles should have been cropped a long time ago
1. Ha!Ha! Ha! this is a joke, I hope it was a typing error- there is no way a crocodile can sit there waiting for you when it has already got its meal.
2.Cropping may not be a solution ( because the animals have the right to live in those rivers) but providing water in human habitats so that they minimise going to rivers. animals are only cropped when their population is too large such that they start encroaching on human habitats.
3. MHSRIP
a very touching story indeed , rip my dear baby…
Your name, I thought you will say a sexy story. Wish you can only comment on issues related o your name.
Condolences to the family, that poor baby had such a painful death. May his/her little soul rest in peace.
Sad.Ala bane ifibokolo fyalapwisha abantu.
Blacky, please stop exposing your ignorance in public. Before PF, there was Mmd and before mmd there was unip. The total number of years mmd and unip were in power is 27+20 years= 47 yrs. Therefore , you are a totally misinformed character to blame the under development in Chadiza on PF where our beloved sister has lost a child due to a crockdile attack. Think with your brain and not your buttocks.It is wiser to keep quiet when you have nothing to say on a subject than to expose your foolishness and stupidity in public. How do you surely bring in PF here? You sound like somebody waiting for the PF govt to come and dig a pit latrine for you just because mmd was booted out of office. Don’t expect govt to drill 13 million boreholes, one for every Zambian. it will never happen. Be sensible.
Promises baba promises.
You are very PF hahaha – 90 days baba no years for you!!!!!
This is the reason why we need tap water and not just empty promises.We do have prenty of water from rivers and there is no excuse for not having water from a tap a proper sewerage system.
BE PRACTICAL ALSO. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TAP WATER FOR EVERYONE. WE WILL CONTINUE USING BORE-HOLES, WELLS, STREAMS, RIVERS, LAKES EVEN OCEANS.
WHAT IS NEEDED IS FOR PEOPLE TO BE SECURITY CONSCIOUS. AVOID DRINKING WATER FROM CROC-INFESTED STREAMS, GO WITH SOME COMPANY WHENEVER YOU GO FETCHING WATER OR WASHING BY THE STREAM, BOIL DRINKING WATER OR CLORINATE IT. INFORM MOH AND COUNCIL TO INSPECT WELLS, STREAMS ETC.
So so sad indeed, i feel for this family… Imwebantu fyonse ma politics kanshi?? Cant u just comment on anythng without bringing in politics? Spiritually, i mourn with this poor family – ambuya chaipa ngako, mulungu adalise nakuyanka mapempelo anu aakupaseni mwana wina. Zikomo
Life is shaped by politics, study and read books.
very sad but we can not run away from the fact that someone did not do their job,1.Government should have supplied water to houses.2.Zawa should have cropped the animals but as usual they spring into action after loss of life.
someone is talking of making a national airline and high speed trains when others are been eaten by animals in the search for water mean while sprinklers at state house run all day and night.
in Nigeria crocs are almost extinct. skin is good for shoes and ladies bags. lets do the same.
This is unacceptable! Rural dwellers must be proactive in tasking govt to bring running water to their communities. No mother should have to experience this trauma.
What was the office of the President officers doing here anyway?
It does not make sense to hear our hard working office of the President going after a crocodile, when this is the work of ZAWA, whom Masebo has disabled & went away on a holiday to waste our money after raping our public coffers.
Did the office of the President agents think, the crocodile was ilomba or superstitious & caught the baby? Or may they thought they can get something from it like in the 1980s?
During UNIP Dictator Kaunda’s 1970 & 80s satanic reign, members of the intelligence & military believed that having magic would help them catch confused criminal Adamson Mushala in North Western Province.
It was a lie, what Zambians didn’t know was that Mushala was just a normal ordinary thug!
This will continue for as long as we continue to listen to fools promising rubbish in exchange for a vote. The same fools we begin to fear and bow before as soon as they get our vote. These are the issues that are foremost – NOT sitting and dozing in some building called parliament!
What does it REALLY bring water away from the unsafe areas near rivers to people’s huts or homes? What??? Are we waiting for NGOs to come and do this for us??? Surely??? Really??? Seriously??? So we should crop crocodiles and not bring water to peoples’ communities???? Really???????
Kill the reptiles mannnnn! ZAWA where are you. Thats y locals just declare war against these reptiles. Do u have t wait until a life is lost?
This is very sad. I pray that comfort, peace… be with the mother and the family.
Please easterners can u change some names please how can you name a stream KANDABWAKO it means the crocodile just did what the name of the stream stream suggests- Step on yours (Kandabwako). We cant talk about cropping after an accident, its the same in chibombo we loose 54 pipo then we start talking about road safety after burial we forget , what type of people are ZAMBIANS.?
At least we should learn from experience since we don’t seem to plan and implement anything.
This is terrible.
PF now sacrifing babies this is too much.
thats underdevelopment , talk abt real issues not rumours
I cant hold my tears…..Ooooh God why….?
A very sad story indeed , I am sure something can be done by the communities to prevent this kind of loss than waiting for government to act. We should not always be looking up to government to provide everything when its struggling to meet basic public goods for the population. Governance for our mother Zambia is not likely to improve with the change in leadership,if anything it is likely to yield diteriorating results with every change of government. All Zambian politicians have accumulated wealth through corruptive deals and fighting very hard to be in the pole position to allow them steal from the poor Zambians. Lets participate in the development of our country by taking responsibility as individuals , communities and as leaders.
Too bad. May the almighty God received the Angels Soul.
You bloggers how can you say RIP when u know that the child was just swallowed and you cant point a resting place for the minor. I wonder how the mother will cope up with this situation because she does not know the status of the child as am talking. this is really sad hey!!
This is really sad. May the beautiful soul of that baby rest in peace. May the parents especially the mother who is still traumatized I should think, receive comfort from the Almighty above.
Chabipa bane.
Any comments from the area MP?
Very sad story. GOD BLESS THIS ANGEL
This is so sad. We pray for the mothers quick recovery. But I wonder why the first responders were the Zambia Police and Office of the President…Are you serious? These guys are not qualified or trained to secure wild-life. No wonder they couldn’t find it. Maybe it was even there watching them. ZAWA is trained for such things and they need proper funding. Don’t waste tax payers money bringing office of the president officers to hunt for crocodiles. They are not qualified.
an innocent baby goes jst like that by these useless and un protected crocs,where /and when is the game cropping in zambia takes place of these creatures plse sure sure abantu balapwa.GOD HELP US.