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Kanungu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Four suspected poachers have been arrested for allegedly killing a buffalo in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kanungu district.
The suspects are Enock Aryaijuka a resident of Rwamagali village in Kihembe parish, Kanyantorogo sub-county, Stephen Christmas, Vian Arinaitwe and Eunice Origumisiriza Eunice all residents of Nyanga sub-county in Kanungu district.
David Agenya, the Assistant Warden in charge of Tourism in Ishasha sector says that the suspects were arrested on Sunday while in the national park during an operation by park rangers.
He says that the suspects were found carrying the dead buffalo, spears and rope snares used by poachers to trap wild animals.
The arrests of the poachers comes two days after four poachers were arrested for killing a mountain gorilla known as Rafiki, a member of the Silverback family from Nkuringo group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Kisoro district.
The suspects were on Friday remanded to Kisoro government prison until June 29th. According to Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA, Rafiki was killed by a sharp object which penetrated his internal organs.
Cases of poaching are common in Queen Elizabeth National Park with poachers targeting buffaloes to get meat to feed their families and others targeting elephants to get ivory for trade.
In May 2019, Moses Bitungwa, a resident of Kabuga in, Kihihi sub-county, Kanungu district was shot dead by game rangers after he was found in the park poaching. In 2018, eleven lions, including eight lion cubs were found dead in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
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