By Pascal Onega
BULIISA: A 75-year-old man was attacked and killed by a stray elephant in Waiga Village in Bugana Parish Buliisa Sub-county in Buliisa District
The incident happened on Sunday evening at around 6pm when the deceased identified asMogo Ungyera and other two were watering their Tobacco Nursery seedlings.
Charles Urombi, a resident of the same area who doubles as the chairperson of Waiga scouts in-charge of chasing the elephants explained that the elephant attacked the trio killing Unyera insistently.
Ogen Mungu who was left with serious injuries was rushed to Buliisa General Hospital while Unyera’s body was evacuated to the same hospital mortuary for postmortem.
According to residents, they are being raided by wild animals like elephants and Buffalos which destroy their crops and cause injuries to the community members.
The Albertine Region Police Spokesperson Julius Hakiiza confirmed the incident and urged the local communities against confronting such animals once they stray into their villages.
Last year, the residents petitioned the Uganda Wildlife Authority over what they called rampant invasion of elephants and Buffaloes into the community causing massive destruction to their crops and killing of people.
The affected villages include Kabolwa, Kamandindi, Gotyech, Pandiga, Ajiigo, Muvulenunda, Bugana, Waiga, Avogera, Kharatum, Kigoya and Katareba from the sub-counties of Buliisa and Ngwendo in sub-counties of Butiaba, Buliisa Ngwedo, Biiso and Buliisa town council, which all share a common border with the parks.
Richard Oyirwoth, the field office of Tasha Research Institute Africa, a community-based organisation in Buliisa, said several hectares of cassava, maize, beans, sweet potatoes, jack fruits, pawpaws and bananas have been destroyed by wild animals over the years, and residents say that apart from the destruction of crops and property, the animals are a threat to human life.
