Stray elephants invade Buliisa villages

Buliisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Farmers in Buliisa district are counting losses following an invasion of stray elephants.

More than twenty elephants from Murchison falls national park strayed into Bugana, Kicoke, and Nganzi villages in Bugana sub-county on Wednesday night and destroyed several acres of cassava, maize, beans, sorghum, and banana plantations among others.

David Katusiime, a resident of Bugana village says that the destruction could result in famine.

Ivan Businge, one of the affected residents has appealed to the government to extend food relief to them following the massive destruction of their crops by the stray elephants.

He says that they are spending sleepless nights in the cold in an attempt to drive away the stray elephants from their gardens.

Sharif Kato, another victim of the elephant invasion, says that he lost close to four acres of maize and cassava to the stray game animals.

Allan Atugonza, the Buliisa County member of parliament has asked the government to consider urgent food support to the affected families saying they are likely to starve if no immediate attention is offered to them.

He too wants UWA officials to immediately intervene and drive the stray animals from the community.

Bashir Hangi, the Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA spokesperson could not be reached for a comment as his known mobile telephone number was switched off by the time of filing this story.

In August 2022, residents of Buliisa near Murchison falls National Park petitioned the Uganda Wildlife Authority -UWA over the rampant invasion of elephants and Buffaloes into the community causing massive destruction to their garden crops.

In their petition addressed to UWA then, the residents noted that they are being raided by wild animals like elephants and Buffaloes, which destroy their crops and cause injuries to the community members.

The residents in the petition wanted UWA to compensate them for crops destroyed and injuries inflicted on some of the community members by the wild animals.

The aggrieved residents were from more than 20 villages neighboring Murchison Falls National Park, especially from the sub-counties of Butiaba, Buliisa Ngwedu, Biiso, and Buliisa town council, which all share a common border with the park.

The residents then explained in the petition that several hectares of cassava, maize, beans, sweet potatoes, jack fruits, pawpaws, and bananas were destroyed by wild animals over the years yet no intervention was being undertaken by UWA.

The more than 1,000 residents who signed the petition also demanded that UWA erects an electric fence around Murchison Falls National Park to prevent further invasion of the animals into the community.

In 2018, the government through UWA said it would erect an electric fence around all national parks across the country and the program was meant to start in the financial year 2019/2020.

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