* DNA tests are being conducted to confirm if the results match identity of the missing person, whose Ford Ranger was earlier found trapped on a low-lying bridge of Komati River in Mpumalanga
By Duncan Mlanjira
South African wildlife experts have managed to pinpoint a crocodile amongst those near a scene of a car accident after suspecting that the owner of the Ford Ranger might have been attacked and eaten by the predatory reptiles.
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South African media report that during a week-long search for the missing businessman, whose Ford Ranger was earlier found trapped on a low-lying bridge of Komati River near Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, the experts studied the body language of crocodiles in the vicinity of the accident.
After using a helicopter and drones to get near the pack of crocodiles on the banks of the river, the reptiles dived into safety of the water except one, which the experts pinpointed to be the one involved.
After acquiring legal permission, the crocodile was then euthanased and harnessed before lifting it off by helicopter to a secure place where it was cut open and they discovered the human remains in the intestines.
The report says DNA tests are being conducted to confirm if the results would match identity of the missing person and in a TV interview, the search’s lead emphasised that the pinpoint was not pure luck since the reptile remained dormant away from the water despite others scampering away when drones and helicopters were used to scare them.
This, according to the expert, is that once a crocodile consumes large amount of food, it remains dormant by lying idle on the banks of the river to allow digestion to take place.
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On its official Facebook account, 24/Seven Logistics Towing & Recovery reports that a joint team involving SAPS Search & Rescue, NatJoint, SANParks, EMS, Securecon, and the Port Management Committee carried out the operation — who have since been applauded by acting Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi “for their dedication and bravery under difficult and dangerous conditions”.
The media captures Captain Johan Potgieter being hoisted by a SANPARKS helicopter into a crocodile-infested river to capture the dead animal, which had been euthanised and then safely lifted and relocated.
Commenting on the incident, Malawi’s authorised crocodile-hunter-Ian-Bartlett-who-wrote-a-book-chronicling-experiences-in-dealing-with-problem-animals-that-threaten-peoples-livelihoods/, described the incident as “a tragic but very real reminder of what the rivers demand”.
“Crocodiles don’t hunt out of malice — they take opportunity, and low bridges, flooded crossings, and stranded vehicles create exactly that. This is something I saw time and time again in Malawi while working in problem animal control — it’s far more common than people realise.
“Respect the water — if it looks risky, it already is,” says Bartlet, who is accessed for updates through https://therealcrocodilehunter.com.
“A crocodile’s power isn’t just in its jaws ,it’s in the way it thinks. The Nile crocodile’s brain is built for one thing: instinctive, calculated survival.
“It doesn’t panic; it doesn’t hesitate — it waits…watches…and strikes when it matters. I’ve seen it firsthand.
“People call them mindless killers. That’s completely wrong. They are precise, patient predators that have perfected their method over millions of years.
“And when humans enter that environment without awareness, that’s when things go wrong.”
Bartlett has spent 10 years hunting crocodiles in Malawi and Africa as a whole with some that had already taken human lives — this says: “People imagine adventure, but the reality was long nights, dangerous rivers, and knowing one mistake could be your last” — the true story which he has shared in his Memoirs of a Real Crocodile Hunter.
