Interactions between people and wild animals often result in negative impacts, and different views on the management of such interactions can lead to conflicts. Both intentional and unintentional negative human–wildlife interactions are increasing problems in many places where people share space with wild animals. Here we focus on negative interactions between people and Nile crocodiles Crocodylus niloticus in and around Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. In the study area, crocodile attacks on people occur frequently, leading to people being injured or killed, which in turn prompts retaliatory actions against crocodiles. However, despite the negative impact of such interactions on both people and crocodiles, little is known about the spatio-temporal patterns of crocodile attacks or environmental conditions under which attacks occur. We collected information about crocodile attacks on people that occurred during 2000–2020, including the date, time, season and location of attacks, the age of victims and the activities they were carrying out when attacks occurred, and water conditions during attacks. We analysed these data to discern patterns and trends of crocodile attacks on people. Attacks occurred in clear as well as turbid water, and nearly half of all reported attacks were at night or in the early morning. The locations with the highest number of recorded attacks were Nyanyana and Charara lakeside, and the fewest attacks occurred at Andora harbour. Most victims were 26–40 years old, and most were attacked in the dry-hot season, while they were fishing. Our findings can be used to design area-specific mitigation strategies to reduce negative human–crocodile interactions.

This study investigated the size, diversity, dominance and trophic structures of the exploited inshore fish community of the Sinazongwe area, Lake Kariba, Zambia, for the period 1980-1995. It was based on fish records of scientific gillnet surveys and on data available in the literature. The size and diversity spectra exhibited, like those of exploited demersal marine fish communities, regular decreasing patterns, indicative of high fish numbers and diversity in smaller sizes and vice versa among larger sizes. The size spectra patterns were recurrent from year to year and well fitted by quadratic functions. The diversity (Shannon index) and dominance (J' index) decreased and increased linearly, respectively, with fish length. Diversity for larger lengths has decreased as evidenced by the annual variations of diversity spectra's slopes. The abundance-biomass comparison plots indicated years of undisturbed, strongly and moderately stressed fish community. The proportions of predators, especially of Hydrocynus vittatus, and the mean trophic level decreased linearly over years. The average diversity trophic spectra remained unchanged. The mean abundance and biomass trophic spectra indicated a top-predator controlled community over 1980-1984, and vice versa thereafter. The trophic structure descriptors better captured the fish community changes under increasing fishing pressure and revealed for the first time the “fishing down marine food webs” effects for Lake Kariba. The community attributes studied are potentially promising alternatives for the assessment and management of tropical exploited freshwater fish communities.