A ZIMBABWEAN mother claims she wrestled her three-year-old son from the jaws of a crocodile by shoving her fingers into its nostrils.

Maurina Musisinyana, 30, from the southeastern town of Chiredzi, was fishing on the banks of the Runde River when she heard a scream from one of her two sons, who had been playing nearby.

She said she saw son Gideon being dragged into the water by a Nile crocodile.

She had been told that the best way to weaken a crocodile was to press its nose to suffocate it.

Maurina said she ran over and was able to cover the croc's nostrils while, with her other arm, pulling her son's head from its jaws.

After releasing the boy, the animal bit Maurina on the hand before letting go of her and retreating back to the water.

Both mother and son were rushed to hospital, with Gideon bleeding profusely from his wounds.

The cuts to his face were also making it difficult for him to breathe, but doctors said he has responded well to treatment.

Speaking to state broadcaster ZBS, Maurina said: "I still do not believe that I rescued my son."

Maurina's approach to fighting off the croc was well grounded.

When on land, the Nile crocodile breaths chiefly with is mouth.

When it is even partially submerged in water, a valve in its throat closes and it needs its nostrils to breathe.

ZBC reports that the Runde is heavily-populated by the crocs, and that the incident is just the latest of many attacks on people fishing or trying to cross.

Its main food is fish, but it commonly attacks mammals , like zebras or hippos, that come near the water to drink.

The Nile croc is known to grow to as much as 20 feet in length and 1,650 pounds in weight.

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Around 200 people are thought to die each year in attacks by the Nile crocodile.

The species almost went extinct in the 1960s because of hunting but national and international conservations efforts have seen populations recover.

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