| News (print) | Croc attack on Pongola | 2009-02-05 |
We did a trip with two two-man inflatables ("crocs") and two kayaks on the Pongola from the 14th to the 17th December this year. We put in a Dakaneni Picnic site (where the Bivane race finishes) and intended to go to the weir just East of the Ithala boundary. The river was fairly low and we often had to drag over rocks at the start of small drops. We stayed fairly close together and were paddling at a steady pace. At around 1:00pm just before we were to stop for lunch we were attacked by a crocodile. We had shot a small rapid above which we had seen a 3m and 2m crocodile dash for the water, and the first two boats my riot 007 and one inflatable were just watching the others when the attack occured. It first came up under my kayak as hard as it could head butting the front of the boat and lifting the nose by about 1/2 a metre. Luckily I was able to keep my balance and after shouting to the others to get off the river, paddled very quickly away. I am convinced that if the croc had hit me 5cm to either side I would have been tipped over and the croc could have got me before I had time to roll. The croc then attacked the inflatable, lunging three times before biting a huge hole in it but they fortunately reached the bank with Andrew having a scare as he slipped briefly in the water as he got to the bank. We then had to recross the river about 50m upstream above the rapid (the 2,5m croc was in a pool below the rapid) and spend about a day getting our kit to the start of a track where after Andrew and I did some serious bundu bashing through rhino and elephant country (the elies in ithala are particulary dangerous) before getting hold of the head warden who send a vehicle and a few strong zulu men to help us carry the rest of our kit. No-one was injured in all this,except the ESSA(Exploration Society of Southern Africa) croc and we are all taking an easy time to let things settle
Article by Paul Marais
- WWT
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