A 52-year-old fisherman, Dean Nyirenda, was killed by a crocodile while fleeing a herd of elephants in eastern Zambia, according to police reports cited by BBC News. Nyirenda and two friends were returning from a fishing trip when they encountered the elephants and ran away, with Nyirenda diving into a stream near the Luangwa River, where he was attacked by the crocodile.

The police chief, Robertson Mweemba, said Nyirenda managed to escape the crocodile by hitting it with a stick, but died from severe bleeding. The incident highlights the growing human-wildlife conflict in Zambia, with the Luangwa River being home to one of Africa’s highest concentrations of Nile crocodiles.

The authorities are urging locals and tourists to exercise extreme caution when travelling through wildlife hotspots, as such incidents are becoming increasingly common. In 2023, 15 out of 26 wildlife-related deaths were caused by crocodile attacks, mostly along the Luangwa River, according to Resource Africa, a community-led conservation NGO