2015 - 2024 Attack Statistics
AFRICA
It is likely that a large proportion of the attacks that have occurred in Africa were not recorded. The level of record-keeping varies by country, but is lacking in most areas. Records from Namibia and South Africa, while not comprehensive, are believed to cover the majority of incidents. In most other areas, however, it is likely that a very high number of incidents were not recorded. Some areas, such as parts of West Africa, may simply experience very few attacks due to the presence of species that are generally viewed as less dangerous to humans (such as Crocodylus suchus). Therefore, it is important to view the data for most African nations as largely incomplete, but useful to target conservation, management, mitigation, and research efforts. Incidents in all locations involved C. niloticus unless listed otherwise.
Angola: 92 attacks (62 fatal)
Botswana: 25 attacks (9 fatal)
Burkina Faso: 3 attacks (all fatal) (C. suchus)
Burundi: 5 attacks (all non-fatal)
Cameroon: 2 attacks (both fatal)
Central African Republic: 1 attack (fatal)
Chad: 2 attacks (both fatal) (C. suchus)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: 96 attacks (66 fatal)
Eswatini: 9 attacks (4 fatal)
Ethiopia: 10 attacks (9 fatal)
Ghana: 2 attacks (both non-fatal) (possibly Mecistops cataphractus)
Guinea: 4 attacks (1 fatal) (C. suchus)
Guinea-Bissau: 2 attacks (both fatal) (C. suchus)
Kenya: 85 attacks (66 fatal)
Madagascar: 41 attacks (19 fatal)
Malawi: 97 attacks (73 fatal)
Mali: 1 attack (fatal) (C. suchus)
Mozambique: 101 attacks (71 fatal)
Namibia: 58 attacks (43 fatal)
Rwanda: 7 attacks (all fatal)
Somalia: 5 attacks (all fatal)
South Africa: 35 attacks (17 fatal)
South Sudan: 4 attacks (1 fatal)
Sudan: 3 attacks (2 fatal)
Tanzania: 91 attacks (71 fatal)
Uganda: 83 attacks (69 fatal)
Zambia: 179 attacks (116 fatal)
Zimbabwe: 167 attacks (107 fatal)
ASIA
The level of reporting in Asia is generally much better than in Africa, though a number of incidents are still believed to have gone unrecorded and there are some important data-deficient areas, such as Indonesian Papua. It is important to note that C. porosus, while considered Least Concern globally byt] the IUCN, due to pre-exploitation level populations in parts of northern Australia, the species remains threatened in most other areas, particularly mainland Asia, where it has been extirpated from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The population in Vanuatu may also be extinct.
While reports of attacks have increased dramatically in Indonesia and Malaysia, this does not necessarily mean the populations are large. In East Nusa Tenggara, where the highest number of attacks were reported range-wide over the past decade, the average density is a mere 0.4 non-hatchlings per km. Parts of Malaysian Borneo, on the other hand, have reported higher densities. Therefore, crocodile population size likely has little impact on attack frequency. C. palustris, which is responsible for the majority of attacks in India, is currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
The species responsible is listed next to each country.
Bangladesh: 9 attacks (3 fatal) (C. porosus and C. palustris)
Brunei: 10 attacks (5 fatal) (C. porosus)
Cambodia: 1 attack (non-fatal) (C. siamensis; unclear if wild individual or escaped captive)
India: 768 attacks (317 fatal) (C. palustris is responsible for more attacks than C. porosus in India, due to the limited distribution of the latter)
Indonesia: 1167 attacks (556 fatal) (>95% C. porosus, <5% Tomistoma schlegelii)
Iran: 7 attacks (1 fatal) (C. palustris)
Malaysia: 196 attacks (140 fatal) (C. porosus)
Myanmar: 25 attacks (15 fatal) (C. porosus)
Nepal: 20 attacks (6 fatal) (C. palustris)
Pakistan: 2 attacks (both fatal) (C. palustris)
Philippines: 70 attacks (25 fatal) (C. porosus)
Sri Lanka: 94 attacks (69 fatal) (C. palustris and C. porosus)
Thailand: 2 attacks (both non-fatal) (C. siamensis)
Timor-Leste: 73 attacks (42 fatal) (C. porosus)
OCEANIA
The data from Australia is largely comprehensive, excluding unverified claims of several fatal and non-fatal attacks on Indonesian trepang fishermen illegally entering Australian waters. We were able to verify three such incidents (one fatal), but many more have been claimed. All other incidents, except perhaps extremely minor non-fatal bites, are likely to have been recorded. The data for Papua New Guinea is based on research recently conducted by Brandon Sideleau for Charles Darwin University. It is likely that incidents have gone unrecorded in both PNG and Solomon Islands. It is important to note that, despite the frequent hunting of crocodiles, attacks are a common occurrence in PNG, further suggesting that "culls" do not reduce attack frequency. All attacks are believed to have involved C. porosus unless mentioned otherwise.
Australia: 74 attacks (11 fatal) (C. porosus= 57 attacks, 11 fatal; C. johnstoni= 17 attacks, all non-fatal)
- Northern Territory: 30 attacks (3 fatal) (C. porosus= 22 attacks, 3 fatal; C. johnstoni= 8 attacks, all non-fatal)
- Queensland: 28 attacks (7 fatal) (C. porosus= 24 attacks, 7 fatal; C. johnstoni= 4 attacks, all non-fatal)
- Western Australia: 16 attacks (1 fatal) (includes one fatal attack on an Indonesian fisherman; C. porosus= 11 attacks, 1 fatal; C. johnstoni= 5 attacks, all non-fatal)
Papua New Guinea: 515 attacks (304 fatal)
Solomon Islands: 117 attacks (44 fatal)
AMERICAS
Data from the United States should be considered comprehensive, barring minor non-fatal incidents. The same is likely also true for Costa Rica and Jamaica. Non-fatal incidents may go unrecorded elsewhere. Unrecorded fatalities, however, are likely uncommon. They may go unrecorded in remote areas, such as the Mosquito Coast regions of Honduras and Nicaragua, but such incidents are likely rare. Amazonia is such a large and remote area that incidents are also likely to be missed, though fatalities are, again, likely very rare.
C. acutus was responsible for the highest number of attacks and deaths in the Americas during the decade period, with most incidents being reported from Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama. Melanosuchus niger was second highest, followed by A. mississippiensis and C. moreletii, though C. moreletii was responsible for more deaths than A. mississippiensis (particularly in Tamaulipas, Mexico). One notable outlier was a single C. crocodilus attributed fatality in Colombia, though the victim in this case was an infant, which is well within prey size range for an adult C. crocodilus. Another minor non-fatal incident involved Paleosuchus palpebrosus in Brazil. In general, attacks are less frequent and far less severe in the Americas than in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
The species responsible for attacks is listed beside each location. If a native species was not responsible for any attacks in the country, it was not listed.
Argentina: 2 attacks (both non-fatal) (C. latirostris and C. yacare)
Belize: 11 attacks (1 fatal) (C. acutus and C. moreletii)
Bolivia: 9 attacks (3 fatal) (C. yacare and M. niger)
Brazil: 87 attacks (14 fatal) (M. niger, C. crocodilus, C. latirostris, C. yacare, and P. palpebrosus)
Colombia: 25 attacks (1 fatal) (C. crocodilus, C. acutus, and C. intermedius)
Costa Rica: 28 attacks (5 fatal) (C. acutus and C. crocodilus)
Cuba: 1 attack (non-fatal) (C. acutus)
Dominican Republic: 2 attacks (both non-fatal) (C. acutus)
El Salvador: 4 attacks (all non-fatal) (C. acutus)
French Guiana: 2 attacks (both non-fatal) (C. crocodilus)
Guatemala: 17 attacks (1 fatal) (C. moreletii)
Guyana: 3 attacks (1 fatal) (M. niger and C. crocodilus)
Honduras: 6 attacks (1 fatal) (C. acutus)
Jamaica: 10 attacks (1 fatal) (C. acutus)
Mexico: 200 attacks (25 fatal) (C. acutus and C. moreletii)
Nicaragua: 9 attacks (1 fatal) (C. acutus and C. crocodilus)
Panama: 12 attacks (4 fatal) (C. acutus and C. crocodilus)
Paraguay: 3 attacks (all non-fatal) (C. yacare)
Peru: 6 attacks (1 fatal) (M. niger)
USA: 122 attacks (16 fatal) (A. mississippiensis and C. acutus)
- Florida: 95 attacks (8 fatal) (A. mississippiensis and a single C. acutus bite)
- Louisiana: 4 attacks (1 fatal)
- Mississippi: 1 attack (non-fatal)
- South Carolina: 17 attacks (6 fatal)
- Texas: 5 attacks (1 fatal)
Venezuela: 1 attack (non-fatal) (C. intermedius)