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Butaleja , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents in Butaleja district are counting losses after stray hippos invaded their crop gardens and destroyed crops.
The stray hippos have also killed domestic animals like cattle and goats.
The animals have ravaged gardens in villages of Lukana A, Lukana B and Busime among other villages that neighbor Lake Victoria in Busime sub county and Bussabi and Budumba sub counties in Butaleja district where they have ravaged close to fifteen acres in the villages of Malanga, Bugangu, and Bulega.
Hamphrence Wandera, the LCI chairman of Lukaba A village says that the animals come out of water at night and invade peoples gardens and destroys crops like maize, sweat potatoes, and cassava among others.
Wandera said that they have a challenge of the hippos since last year which come out every season to destroy their crop gardens and kill peoples animals at night and he now wants relevant authorities to intervene.
Mukaga Oguttu, a resident of Lukaba village says that the hippos have killed two of his cows within one week.
“It comes in a kraal in an attempt to mount a cow so in attempt it is so heavy it just breaks the back of the cow or knocks it to death. There’s no way I can attack it alone at night when it has come,” Oguttu said.
Morgan Okuku, the LCI of Busime village says that the hippopotamuses have so far killed more than 10 cows in his village within the last two weeks. They now don’t know where to keep their domestic animals.
Joseph Okuku, a resident of Busime village says that there are more than two hippopotamuses which move at night which have destroyed his two acres of maize garden.
He notes that the hippos also chase fishermen in the lake especially in the morning and evening hours when they move out of the lake waters.
Susan Namulega, a farmer in Busabi sub county in Butaleja says that the hippos have destroyed close to 2 acres of her ground nuts garden.
Mubakeri Balabye, the LCI of Bulega village also in Butaleja said that the animals have also feasted on their potatoes and rice, adding that they tried to kill it but it ran into hiding and that they have now increased to 5.
Amina Duggo, the District Production officer of Butaleja said that the affected people need support because many of their crop gardens have been affected.
Ayubu Wasige, the District’s secretary for Production advised the residents not to kill the deadly animals because they are a tourism attraction.
Bashir Hanji, the Uganda Wildlife Authority Spokesperson said that the people living around the water bodies should avoid areas where the hippos move.
He advised the community to work together with the authority to find ways of containing the problem animals.
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