THE Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism will pay Regimiya Haikera (9) who has been attacked and injured by a crocodile at Ntara village in the Kavango West region, N$10 000 as compensation for her ordeal.

This was yesterday confirmed by an official from the ministry and ranger at Ncaute station, Likuwa Moses.

Haikera became the latest victim of human-wildlife conflict when she narrowly escaped the jaws of a crocodile in the Okavango River at Ntara village on Tuesday.

"The ministry will compensate Haikera for her injuries, but since she is a minor, the payment will be done through her parents," Moses said.

He said Haikera will be compensated according to the ministry's national policy on human-wildlife conflict.

According to the policy, the ministry pays N$10 000 for injuries, N$15 000 for the loss of a body part, N$30 000 if a victim is left with a disability, and N$100 000 for the loss of life when investigations indicate there was no negligence on the victim's part.

Moses said the crocodile will be put down because it has been declared a problem animal since it also caught a goat at the same spot.

"We have been hunting it down since yesterday to put it down," he said.

Haikera went to the river with her brother, Johannes Ndara (19) to water the family's garden, when she was attacked by the crocodile and was saved by Ndara.

She was injured below the ribs and on her hip, and was rushed to the Bunya Health Centre and later transferred to the Rundu State Hospital.

However, the ministry will not compensate Ndara, since he was not injured but only sustained minor scratches to his left hand.

Moses cautioned people using the Okavango River to be careful.

He said they should either go to the river in a group, or be observant when they reach the river and be aware of their surroundings.