A hut submerged in flood water in Pigi County | Courtesy

A five-year-old boy was killed and partly eaten up by an unidentified wild animal in flood-hit Pigi County of Jonglei State on Sunday as both humans and wildlife sought refuge in dry patches of land, according to the authorities there.

County Commissioner Suleiman Deng said the incident occurred at 11:00 midnight as the child and his mother were asleep in a makeshift shelter.

They had relocated to a higher ground in Koliet Boma of Khorwach Payam where the tragic incident befell the locals.

“One of these animals attacked a family and mauled the child the day before yesterday (Sunday). We don’t know which animal it was because it was neither captured nor killed and this happened at night.

“The animal ate the five-year-old child and left only his head. The child was sleeping with his mother when the animal attacked them.”

Mr Deng said the deceased mother tried to fend off unspecified animals but was unable.

“The animal grabbed the child, and the mother couldn’t fend off the animal. There was no one near them because the local makeshift shelters are built about 30 meters apart from each other,” he said.

He added that due to the intense flooding in the area, both humans and wild animals have sought shelter on the dry patches of land,  leading to increased risks of animal attacks on the displaced population.

“There are animals that appeared in the area, they appeared due to the floodwaters and moved to higher ground and dry places that have no water. Their number is big, and people are killing them with guns to drive them back.”

Pigi County, located on the northern edge of Jonglei State, is bordered by Nyirol and Ayod Counties to the south, Fangak County to the west, and Panyikang County in Upper Nile State to the north.

The county is situated at the confluence of the Sobat and Nile Rivers, south of Malakal town in Upper Nile State.

The commissioner expressed concern about the safety of the displaced families, many of whom have been left vulnerable not only to floods but also to wildlife attacks.

Mr Deng called for urgent support to relocate residents to safer areas and to address the humanitarian challenges brought on by the flooding.