The word for crocodile in Zulu translates rather graphically. It means 'the cruel one whose teeth smile while killing'.
They are fearsomely efficient predators, feeding with ease on zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and the occasional hapless human being. They've been around since the dinosaurs, but are now threatened in many parts of Africa. Dr Alison Leslie has just begun a 6 year study of the Nile crocodile in Botswana and a campaign to protect them.
