A 70-YEAR-OLD crocodile hunter by the name of W H Jollyman was proving something of a saviour in the African country of Nyasaland (modern day Malawi)
A year earlier, the authorities had decided that there were far too many crocodiles in Lake Nyasa.
Locals hated having their cattle taken, and so an anti-crocodile campaign was put in place with the object of preserving the fish - which occupied an important part of the Nyasaland economy - and saving bovine and human life.
The operations were entrusted to Mr Jollyman who had clearly given the crocodiles a great deal to think about.
With his armaments of hook and line, rifle and poison, the retired analytical chemist and tobacco farmer had accounted for nearly 400 crocodiles in 12 months.
The hook and line technique was only used occasionally, in the spirit of scientific curiosity, to see how the animal would behave.
Those crocodiles caught with a nine-inch shark hook generally adopted an attitude of passive resistance, although a certain amount of jaw-clashing was indulged in for the benefit of photographers.
Poisoned bait was, however, the main method of destruction. A ball of cyanide was concealed in a portion of cormorant, baboon or crocodile flesh, which was hung above the water. The crocodile readily reached up for the bait and then hurried off to expire.
Locals showed their appreciation by bearing Mr Jollyman gifts of bananas and other foodstuffs.
Perhaps his greatest achievement was when the fearless Mr Jollyman once caught three crocodiles in a butterfly net - he did admit, however, that these crocodiles had only just emerged from the egg!
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