Buliisa residents petition UWA over destruction of crops by elephants

BULIISA-Over 1,380 residents living near Murchison Falls National Park in Buliisa district have asked the Uganda Wildlife Authority [UWA] to act and stop elephants and buffaloes from invading their communities.

In their petition dated August 17, 2022, addressed to UWA, the residents contend that elephants and buffaloes continue to destroy their crops, as well as being a threat to human life.

The petition was delivered by offcials of Tasha Research Institute Africa, a community-based organisation on behalf of the locals.

The residents in the petition want UWA to compensate them for crops destroyed and injuries inflicted on some of the community members by the wild animals. The residents are from more than  20 villages, neighboring Murchison Falls National Park.

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

Other areas that face attacks by the beats are the sub-counties of Butiaba, Buliisa Ngwedu, Biiso and Buliisa town council, which all share a common border with the game parks.

The residents say several hectares of cassava, maize, beans, sweet potatoes, jack fruits, pawpaws, and bananas have been destroyed by wild animals over the years, let alone being a threat to human life.

The residents want UWA to erect an electric fence around Murchison Falls National Park to deter the beasts.

Richard Oyirwoth, field officer Tasha Research Institute Africa said if the situation is not managed immediately, there will be an outbreak of famine in the area, following the continued destruction of their crops by the animals.

Oyirwoth claimed that they have several times demanded UWA to intervene but in vain.

He said that people’s movement at night has also been minimised for fear of being attacked by elephants that move beyond the conservation area boundary line.

Jelosy Mugisa, a resident of Buliisa town council demanded that government compensates them immediately for the destruction of crops by the animals, blaming UWA for failure to address the problem.

Geofrey Byakagaba, a resident of Butiaba Sub-county said the invasions of the animals nowadays is frequent, adding that in a week elephants can attack their area three times, adding that a lasting solution is needed.

He said the ongoing oil activities could be fueling the attacks by the animals and demanded that government conduct research to ascertain the cause of the attacks, saying the attacks never happened regularly before oil activities started in the area.

Bashir Hangi the communication officer UWA admitted the problem, saying animal attacks are experienced country-wide in the communities neighbouring game parks.

However, he said government has initiated several remedies including construction of trenches to stop animals from crossing into the community, even though he added more funds are needed to do the work.

In 2018, the government through UWA said it would erect an electric fence around all national parks across the country. The programme was meant to start in the financial year 2019/2020 but in some areas like Buliisa, residents are still suffering from animal attacks.

https://thecooperator.news/uwa-to-surround-marchison-falls-national-park-with-electric-fence/

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