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Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Correspondent

An 18-year old woman and her 11-month-old baby from Onapathali in Mhangura died last Wednesday after being attacked by a crocodile while fetching water.

Mrs Esnath Mavhangira was fetching water for her garden while carrying her daughter, Susan Chiwanza, on her back when the crocodile attacked. She was dragged into the dam where both she and the baby drowned. The bodies were retrieved in the evening.

Efforts to get comment from Mashonaland West’s provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ian Kohwera were futile.

Mhangura constituency legislator Cde Precious Chinhamo Masango confirmed the deaths and said the attack underscored the urgent need for Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority to respond promptly to human-wildlife conflicts.

The request comes after farmers in her constituency reported lions were threatening livestock and elephants were destroying crops.

ZimParks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the crocodile attack but could not shed more light on the lion and elephant menace saying he was waiting for reports from rangers on the ground.

“We have since deployed a team of rangers to capture or drive away the animals. We hope to bring the situation to normalcy in no time.”