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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Wildlife Authority has suspended the process of removing marabou stork and egret nestlings from Parliament to allow the eggs to hatch and chicks to fly.
On Monday, UWA started relocating the marabou storks and egrets from the precincts of Parliament following concern from Members of Parliament that the birds have become a nuisance and could spread zoonotic diseases.
UWA and a team from the Uganda Wildlife Education Center-UWEC destroyed a few nests and relocated over 50 nestlings especially from National Environment Management Authority-NEMA building along Jinja road.
UWA and Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA have now suspended the process for 21 days to allow all the eggs to hatch and also the young birds to be able to fly.
On Friday, Venice Mirembe, the manager conservation, education and awareness at UWA backtracked from the proposal to relocate the nestlings saying they were just too many of them to be relocated.
Mirembe who was speaking to a team from KCCA which had been briefed to evacuate the nestlings and destroy the nests said that the climbers should now only destroy nests without chickens and eggs.
She says the birds will continue nesting since Members of Parliament are on recess, adding that they will be relocated by the time Parliament resumes next year.
Mirembe says that the population of the nests are over 2,000 and trying to evacuate the nestlings is insane. He says this will be a burden to UWEC who do not have an adequate budget to feed the birds.
However when contacted, Parliament Acting Director Corporate and Public Affairs Helen Kaweesa said that Parliament should be assured that the birds will not lay eggs again. She however said that she will consult with the Clerk to Parliament on the issues.
The move to have the birds removed follows a plea by State Minister for Mineral Development Sarah Opendi earlier in September to the Parliamentary Commission to get rid of marabou storks around the precincts of Parliament saying they pose a health threat to the MPs.
There are an estimated 10,000 marabou storks in Kampala alone and are instrumental in clearing garbage especially carcasses. Marabou stocks are also largely found in the Rwenzori area.
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