During the period between January and April 1997, as many as nine deaths had been attributed to the Mamlambo. According to police, the victims had been in the water a while and had the soft parts of their heads and neck eaten by crabs; local villagers, on the other hand, claimed that these mutilations had been caused by the mamlambo's habit of eating faces and brains. For this reason, the Mamlambo is often referred to as "the Brain Sucker".
During the period from January to April 1997, up to nine deaths were linked to the Mamlambo. According to police, the victims had been in the water for some time and their soft head and neck parts were eaten by crabs; local villagers, however, believed that these mutilations were caused by the Mamlambo's habit of consuming faces and brains. For this reason, the Mamlambo is frequently called "the Brain Sucker".