12 Dec 2025

Maun Police Station Commander Superintendent Joseph Lepodise said the bones found on Saturday during the search operation were sent for DNA testing and a post-mortem on Monday. The results, he said conclusively matched the missing child.

The remains were discovered by search teams and were immediately secured for forensic examination to determine whether they belonged to the boy who disappeared during the crocodile attack.

According to initial reports, the child had been at the river with peers when a crocodile suddenly emerged, seized him and disappeared into the water before anyone could intervene.

Over the past several days, officers from the Botswana Police Service, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and Botswana Defense Force conducted a coordinated search along the Thamalakane River in hopes of finding the boy or evidence pointing to his fate.

The community has been urged to exercise heightened caution around rivers and water bodies known to harbor crocodiles, especially during periods when the reptiles are active and human activity along the riverbanks increases. ENDS