Baringo (Kenya) (AFP) - Kenyan wildlife agents wait hours and in silence for one of the many crocodiles in Lake Baringo to fall into their net, to take it away and protect the local population because, with rising waters, attacks have increased.

First modification: 09/03/2026 - 18:07

Lakes in Kenya's Rift Valley have reached levels not seen in at least half a century, displacing tens of thousands of people and bringing wildlife dangerously close to humans.

An AFP analysis, based on images from the Copernicus Sentinel and NASA Landsat satellite networks, shows that the lake's surface has expanded by 70% since 2010 to currently cover 234 square kilometers.

"We fear that when the El Niño rains arrive, this water will continue to rise and drag the crocodiles towards the village," explains veterinarian Dominic Mijele, an agent with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

The Kenyan government has launched an operation around Lake Baringo to evacuate the largest crocodiles, which can weigh more than 200 kilos.

One of the tactics to attract them is to broadcast, through a speaker installed on the shore of the lake, a recording of a dog howling. Apparently, when crocodiles hear those cries, they swim towards a net baited with fish.

"Relief"

Riverside residents who come to see the show are asked to remain silent and hide, so as not to distract the crocodiles while they go towards the trap.

"It's not easy to catch them, they are very fearful," observes Mijele, adding that crocodiles are "difficult to bait" and obviously "dangerous."

The AFP was able to see several crocodiles approaching the net without entering it: they have become distrustful after at least five of their conspecifics were captured in the same place, the agents point out.

Finally, a medium-sized crocodile enters the trap. A vehicle connected to the grid reverses quickly, dragging it out of the water. For a moment, she is suspended over the lake, until the agents climb to the shore.

But the animal does not allow itself to be manipulated: it shakes and wriggles trying to free itself. A dozen KWS agents must fight for about half an hour to immobilize him in their net.

"It's the one that bothers me in my house every day," rejoices a fisherwoman, present among the crowd that has come to see the captured crocodile.

Lake Baringo is home to more than 200 crocodiles, according to Mijele's rough estimate.

At the beginning of August, AFP had interviewed several lakeside residents, who reported numerous attacks by crocodiles, but also by hippos.

"It's a big relief, they've been terrorizing us for a long time," says Dorcas Kiplagat, a 35-year-old fisherwoman.

But other residents fear that, by removing them from the lake, this will harm tourism and, therefore, the companies that make a living from it.

© 2026 AFP

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