A man running to escape being trampled by elephants was attacked by a crocodile and had his leg and arm bitten off after he jumped into a river.
And when he realised the crocodile was coming back for more, brave Winders Sianene, 43, jumped on its back and rode it as he also shoved his arm down its throat to make it gag.
He then screamed for help as he fought with the reptile as it chewed off his arm during the epic battle in the Mlibizi River in western Zimbabwe on the morning of September 28.
The father-of-three had entered the river and tried to swim across it while fleeing from five elephants, which had approached him while he was preparing to fish.
Winders' brother Fanikiso Mkombwe told local media: "Winders was on his way to Mlibizi River when he saw an elephant charging towards him.
"It was then that he decided to run and jump into the river trying to evade the elephant.
"Unfortunately, he was attacked by a crocodile in the process. He was going to do fishing in Mlibizi River.
"He has since been admitted to Mpilo Hospital [in Bulawayo, south-western Zimbabwe] while his leg and arm have been amputated."
Winders himself told local media in the wake of his ordeal that he had felt a sudden, sharp pain in his left leg after entering the water.
He said he looked back and saw the crocodile, which then tried to rip off his left hand.
He told how he escaped from the large reptile, telling local media: "I climbed on the crocodile and tightly held its head as l shoved my right hand into its big mouth.
"I knew I had to live at any cost so I made sure to keep my hold intact.
"Crocodiles have a small tongue so they do not want anything touching it as it hurts them.
"The crocodile started calming down as I had shoved my hand into its mouth."
Winders explained how people who had heard his cries entered the river and prized the reptile's mouth open with a log, prompting it to swim off.
He told local media: "The pain I felt was very severe but I concentrated on being alive.
"I now believe God works in mysterious ways because people rarely survive when they come across these two animals."
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesman Tinashe Farawo told local media: "It is an unfortunate incident that a Binga villager was left disabled after being attacked by a crocodile.
"We are encouraging people to stay away from water bodies and treat them with caution.
"People should desist from fishing in these water bodies as they might be infested with crocodiles."
Zimbabwean praise poet Obert Dube, after learning of Winders' ordeal, donated the newly-disabled man a wheelchair.
Dube took to social media to write: "Wheelchair update. I am giving it to this man Winders Sianene from Binga.
"Chief Saba man who was attacked by a charging elephant, he decided to hide in the water then a crocodile attacked him brutally.
"He is currently admitted at Mpilo Hospital & he was amputated his leg."
