A crocodile attacked and ate a woman and her five-month-old baby who had gone to fetch water from a lake in north-western Uganda, officials said on Monday.

The attack on the shores of Lake Albert on Friday is yet another example of human-animal conflict in Africa.

This is a situation where species often have to fight over natural resources – land and water – and many rural families don’t have access to running water at home.

“We are advising people to avoid areas where these man-eater crocodiles are,” Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Spokesman, Bashir Hangi, said.

“Crocodiles stay in fish-breeding areas, but when the fish get depleted, they come on the surface and attack and eat humans,” Hangi said.

Local newspaper The Daily Monitor said other villagers on the lake shore had tried and failed to save the woman and her baby.

“Residents tried to save her but their efforts were fruitless as the crocodile had already disappeared with her body in the waters,” the paper reported.

A 700-kilogramme crocodile which had killed and eaten five people over the past five years was captured on Saturday on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria, another UWA official, Peter Ogwang, said.

“The attacks by these animals are now increasing. Right now I am in Ngoma [central Uganda] tracking down a crocodile which has eaten 32 goats in the village,” he said. (dpa/NAN)