Buliisa local leaders worried over persistent attacks by elephants

BULIISA – Local Communities neighboring the Murchison Falls National Park in Buliisa district have expressed concern over the continuous invasion of elephants which they say have killed some people in some areas.

The locals blamed Uganda Wildlife Authority [UWA] for the slow pace of erecting an electric fence along the boundaries of the park, making the wild beasts to continue straying into the nearby villages, resulting in loss of lives.

The affected villages include Kaborwa, Kamandindi, Gotyech, Pandiga, Ajiigo, muvulenunda, Bugana, Waiga, Avogera, Kharatum, Kigoya, and Katareba from the sub-counties of Buliisa and Ngwendo.

Other sub-counties affected are Butiaba, Buliisa Ngwedu, Biiso, and Buliisa town council, which all share a common border with the parks.

The residents contend that their area is always raided by wild animals like elephants and buffaloes which destroy their crops and cause injuries to the community members.

The residents said several hectares of cassava, maize, beans, sweet potatoes, jack fruits, and pawpaw have been destroyed by wild animals over the years.

Charles Ukumu, the LCI chairperson for Waiga village said that they have lost over five people in a space of one year as a result of attacks by elephants.

He noted the latest incident happened last week after an elephant attacked and killed a 42-year-old woman identified as Janet Bero Pamungu. Pamungu a mother of seven is said to have met her death after she went with her two children in a nearby bush to collect firewood.

Ukumu said the situation needs immediate intervention to save the lives of the community members, noting that earlier remedies put in place by UWA such as beehives to safeguard the communities have not yielded any positive results.

He said that the community is fed up with the attacks by elephants, adding soon they may turn against the beasts and kill them.

The Buliisa district agricultural officer, Doreen Bihamaiso said that the situation is getting out of hand and demanded UWA devise means of curbing the elephants within the park.

She noted that the continued attacks on crops by stray elephants are likely to subject the area to food insecurity.

Innocent Wako, a ranger from Murchison Falls Education Centre said that the human-wildlife conflicts area escalated after the government de-gazetted part of the game park to allow human settlement.

He however advised the locals to avoid walking at night and to stop sneaking into the park to poach and collect firewood among other reasons.

Richard Oyirwoth, a field officer of Tasha Research Institute Africa said last year they petitioned UWA put measures that would stop the elephants and buffaloes from invading the community area but to date, nothing has been done.

Bashir Hangi, the communication officer at UWA admitted the challenge, saying invasions by game park animals are experienced countrywide.

However, he said government has initiated several remedies including the construction of trenches to stop animals from closing to the community, even though he added they are yet to reach some areas due to lack of funds.

https://thecooperator.news/farmers-decry-continued-invasion-of-elephants-from-kibale-national-park/

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