Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hipposareresponsible for200to300humandeathsayearandareanotheranimal cred-
ited with killing more humans in Africa than any other. They are known to attack boats,
coming up under canoes and biting them in half. However, most attacks occur on land and
are inflicted on individuals who get between an animal and the water in which it spends
most ofits time. Refusing to believe howrapidly hippos can runcontributes to the death of
many individuals.
Crocodiles
In Australia sixteen attacks and four deaths from attacks by crocodiles were recorded
overaten-yearperiod.Incontrast,crocodilesarereputedtokilloverathousandindividuals
ayearinAfricaandareanotheroftheanimalsofAfricacreditedwithkillingmorehumans
than any other. Unlike other man-eating crocodiles, the Nile crocodile lives in close prox-
imity to large human populations, so contact is more frequent. However, this figure has
been disputed, and some investigators think the number is limited to several hundred,
which is more than all the other crocodiles combined. Crocodiles have been witnessed
scavenging for babies and young children in the Nile.
Attacks by crocodiles and the injuries they produce are similar to attacks by American
alligators.
To avoid attacks, individuals are advised to:
Stay away from infested waters, particularly at dusk or at night, when the animals are
harder to see and when they most actively hunt.
Be aware of surroundings. They should not dangle arms or legs off a boat and must
keep some distance from the water when walking on shore—crocodilians frequently
attack fishermen and people gathering on the shore—and should avoid thick vegeta-
tion that provides these animals with good cover.
Stay a safe distance from alligators or crocodiles. Fifteen feet is usually adequate on
land,butduringmatingseasonagreaterdistanceisadvisable.Nestsorbabycrocodili-
ans must be widely avoided. Mothers are fiercely defensive.
Avoid surprising the animals. When boating, making noise by slapping the water with
paddles or oars, or blowing a whistle can alert these animals. Riverbanks should be
avoided when coming around bends in a river.
Run away from the animal. Crocodilians rely on surprise to capture prey, and it is un-
usual for one of these animals to pursue a person on land. Crocodiles are not sluggish
on land, but they are not fast either. They can run about ten miles per hour, and they
quickly grow tired.
Run away from the water. Crocodiles seldom run on land unless they're trying to get
back into the water. The commonly repeated instruction to run in zigzags is useless;
the fastest way to get away from the animal is to run in a straight line.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search