Two convicted for killing climbing lions

Kanungu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two people have been convicted for killing six climbing lions and ten vultures in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Vincent Tumuhirwe, a farmer and Robert Ariyo, a boda boda rider from Kanungu district were on Thursday convicted in the Utilities, Wildlife and Standards Court, presided over by the Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu on five charges. They are entering a protected area without permission, hunting wild animals in a wildlife conservation area without permission, and killing wild animals and protected wildlife species in a wildlife conservation area without permission.

They were convicted on grounds that the prosecution adduced evidence from 13 witnesses who proved beyond reasonable doubt that between March 17th and 19th 2021, Ariyo and Tumuhirwe illegally entered Habugombwa Kob Mating Ground Ishasha Sector Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kanungu district, hunted and killed six climbing lions and ten white vultures through poisoning.

According to Kamasanyu, the evidence was also sufficient enough to prove that Ariyo and Tumuhirwe were found in possession of four heads of lions, fifteen legs of lions, one tail of a lion and a three-liter jerry can of lion fats without a valid wildlife use right.

Court has also heard that evidence proved that the convicts put poison in a Kob and put it in the park near the lions and the convicts came to check after two days, and it’s when they found the lions had feasted on the poisonous kob and the vultures hence death.

Kamasanyu said that although there was no evidence from eyewitnesses, the fact that they led the investigators to the scene where the missing body parts were found meant that they killed the lions and vultures which are endangered wildlife species.

Prosecutors led by Joan Keko asked the court to hand the maximum sentence of life imprisonment to the convicts.    Keko argued that although the lions which are known as Kings of the jungle are not human beings, they were painfully and brutally killed.

She said lions are known as the world’s most fierce animals and for one to kill them, he or she must be brave and act with impunity.

The convicts asked to present their mitigating factors on August 30 which the court agreed.

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