Rarieda: A crocodile that has been terrorizing the residents of Kopiata beach in Rarieda sub county has been finally trapped by the Kenya Wildlife Service after eluding the snare for the last one year.
According to Kenya News Agency, area residents expressed joy and relief as KWS personnel pulled the huge reptile that is blamed for the loss of at least three lives since 2025. Siaya County KWS Warden, Sheila Ochieng’, noted that besides the human casualties at Kopiata beach, residents have also lost several livestock during the same period.
Ochieng, who led a team of rangers and other security personnel, stated that the reptile had been evading the snares set along the Lake Victoria beach. ‘We had to resort to trapping the crocodile after losing three lives,’ she said while addressing the media at Kopiata beach. This marks the second crocodile KWS has managed to trap in the past two years.
She praised the collaboration her team received from residents, the National Government Administration officers, and the area beach management unit, which she credited with enabling the successful removal of the reptile. Mrs. Ochieng’ urged the community to continue cooperating with KWS and promptly report wildlife incidents through their local leadership. She also advised residents living near rivers and Lake Victoria to remain vigilant to prevent further attacks.
Residents expressed gratitude to KWS for removing the reptile that had been a constant threat to them. ‘We have lived in fear for too long. Every time we go to the lake, we wonder if we will come back alive. We have lost family members and livestock, and it has been heartbreaking for our community,’ said Samuel Okoth, a resident.
East Uyoma location chief, Peter Odongo, commended the KWS team for their swift intervention, noting that crocodile attacks had become very frequent in the area. Meanwhile, a community member, Benard Oketch, whose family has previously lost a member to a crocodile attack at Kopiata Beach, called on the Government to compensate them. ‘We have suffered greatly and deserve support from the authorities,’ said Oketch.
