A fisherman has died after being attacked by a crocodile while fleeing a herd of elephants in eastern Zambia, police said on Thursday.
The victim, identified as 52-year-old Dean Nyirenda, was returning from a fishing trip with two companions on Wednesday when the group encountered elephants near the Luangwa River. As they ran to escape the animals, Nyirenda jumped into a nearby stream.
“He was attacked by a crocodile which bit his right thigh,” local police chief Robertson Mweemba told journalists.
Police said Nyirenda managed to fend off the crocodile by striking it with a stick before pulling himself out of the water. His two companions, who had been watching from a distance, rushed to help and carried him from the riverbank as he bled heavily, according to state broadcaster ZNBC.
“They tried to stop the bleeding, but unfortunately he died,” Mweemba said.
Wildlife officers who later visited the scene found deep bite wounds on Nyirenda’s right thigh, which caused fatal blood loss.
The Luangwa River, which runs through South Luangwa National Park, is home to one of Africa’s highest concentrations of Nile crocodiles, conservation groups say.
Zambia has a large and growing elephant population, and human-wildlife encounters have increased in recent years. According to the conservation group Resource Africa, 26 wildlife-related deaths were recorded in 2023, with 15 caused by crocodile attacks—most of them along the Luangwa River.
Zambian authorities have repeatedly urged residents and tourists to exercise caution in wildlife-rich areas, while wildlife officials say measures such as protective fencing are being considered to reduce human-animal conflict.