Ebenezer T. Bifubyeka (Ten),Biafra, Mbarara, Western Uganda.
ALAS! At least three lions, unidentified number of cabs, hyenas and vultures have been poisoned to death in Queen Elizabeth National Park! The executive director of Uganda wildlife authority (UWA), Moses Mapesa confirms.
The ill-fated lions were poisoned last week possibly by the neighbouring Basongola farmers. They did this allegedly to avenge themselves on the lions that trailed into their farm and devoured two cows. Worse still, the poison ended up trapping other animals and birds! The number of dead lions could be more than the three carcasses discovered because all the lions that ate the poisoned food must have traveled to different areas.
This is a grave loss to our nation. Relatives and friends of the deceased lions are crying. Therefore, I hereby appeal to patriotic citizens to mourn for three days: one day for each lion. Yes, we should. Unless we exhibit such concern and passion, the poisoning of our animals might continue and ultimately lead to their extinction.
The population of lions is steeply declining in Uganda. From August 2006 to August 2007, Basongola herdsmen reportedly poisoned at least 13 innocent lions in this same park: Queen Elizabeth National Park. The lions were fed on meat with poison in a bid to protect their herds!
According to Uganda’s conservation manager, Tom Okello, less than 40 lions remain in the park, from a population of nearly 100 a decade ago! And the Ultimate Media states that Queen Elizabeth National Park draws as many as 45,000 visitors (40% of the all tourists who visit this country) every year to see the amazing animals like lions.
A decade ago, all the lions in Lake Mburo National Park along Mbarara-Masaka highway were poisoned to death! If the situation in Queen Elizabeth National Park is not held with both hands, the remaining lions might follow the same suit! We should not just say, ‘God forbid;’ we should act. And our actions should commence now.
You may not be a politician. But you can act too. Let’s all act. Yes, we must. Let’s all join the verbal war of spreading the conservation gospel. The tourism industry, our top foreign exchange earner, is at stake!
Mr. Mapesa resuscitates my hope when he tells me that they have started digging up deep trenches in Kyambura, Kichwamba and Mpondwe, some of the areas surrounding the park. This would be an effective measure to bar our precious animals from crossing over to the residences of their human ‘predators.’
As Mapesa predicts, maintaining these trenches might be difficult. This is where you and I, plus the dwellers around the national parks come in. Our participation to sensitise the communities is very vital.
The communities around the national park need to know that animals are bringing a lot of foreign currency into their country, on which their economy depends. They therefore need to take the onus of implementing UWA’s intervention of planting red pepper around the park. Red pepper causes itching to humans or animals that come close to it.
Animals have a stronger sense of smell than people. When they smell red pepper, they turn away. At the same time, the communities would generate money from red pepper around the park. But before they start generating money from it, the communities need to first know the cause and aim of such a measure and appreciate it.
They need lessons on regulated spot hunting through which they can earn more money from meat than they can earn from their livestock. “One can easily earn US$25 from one animal instead of sh30,000 earned from an ordinary animal.
It is most likely that if the communities around the parks realise the high value of wild animals; they will see reason to protect them. According to Mapesa, this strategy has successfully yielded fruits in Botswana.
Most probably, farmers kill the lions because government doesn’t compensate them for the loss of their domestic animals. Though Mapesa admits that wild animals go outside the parks to hunt for cows, antelopes and crops, he says UWA doesn’t have the funds to compensate every affected farmer.
“We can’t afford compensation. It is hard to measure the damage like determining the worth of a lost cow. It is true that animals do trail outside the park and prey on the farmers’ livestock and crops; but we can’t afford to compensate whoever is affected. We only help one recover from the loss and then caution one about negligence,” he explains.
The government is working although she needs to pull up her socks. From all signs, our communities need to develop good will and cooperation. The Banyankore say, “Agetereine nigo gaata eigufa” (“it is combined efforts that break the bone”). Let all of us: churches, schools, mosques, NGOs, farmers, artists, army and of course politicians - join hands and save our mighty environment. Yes, we can.
ALAS! At least three lions, unidentified number of cabs, hyenas and vultures have been poisoned to death in Queen Elizabeth National Park! The executive director of Uganda wildlife authority (UWA), Moses Mapesa confirms.
The ill-fated lions were poisoned last week possibly by the neighbouring Basongola farmers. They did this allegedly to avenge themselves on the lions that trailed into their farm and devoured two cows. Worse still, the poison ended up trapping other animals and birds! The number of dead lions could be more than the three carcasses discovered because all the lions that ate the poisoned food must have traveled to different areas.
This is a grave loss to our nation. Relatives and friends of the deceased lions are crying. Therefore, I hereby appeal to patriotic citizens to mourn for three days: one day for each lion. Yes, we should. Unless we exhibit such concern and passion, the poisoning of our animals might continue and ultimately lead to their extinction.
The population of lions is steeply declining in Uganda. From August 2006 to August 2007, Basongola herdsmen reportedly poisoned at least 13 innocent lions in this same park: Queen Elizabeth National Park. The lions were fed on meat with poison in a bid to protect their herds!
According to Uganda’s conservation manager, Tom Okello, less than 40 lions remain in the park, from a population of nearly 100 a decade ago! And the Ultimate Media states that Queen Elizabeth National Park draws as many as 45,000 visitors (40% of the all tourists who visit this country) every year to see the amazing animals like lions.
A decade ago, all the lions in Lake Mburo National Park along Mbarara-Masaka highway were poisoned to death! If the situation in Queen Elizabeth National Park is not held with both hands, the remaining lions might follow the same suit! We should not just say, ‘God forbid;’ we should act. And our actions should commence now.
You may not be a politician. But you can act too. Let’s all act. Yes, we must. Let’s all join the verbal war of spreading the conservation gospel. The tourism industry, our top foreign exchange earner, is at stake!
Mr. Mapesa resuscitates my hope when he tells me that they have started digging up deep trenches in Kyambura, Kichwamba and Mpondwe, some of the areas surrounding the park. This would be an effective measure to bar our precious animals from crossing over to the residences of their human ‘predators.’
As Mapesa predicts, maintaining these trenches might be difficult. This is where you and I, plus the dwellers around the national parks come in. Our participation to sensitise the communities is very vital.
The communities around the national park need to know that animals are bringing a lot of foreign currency into their country, on which their economy depends. They therefore need to take the onus of implementing UWA’s intervention of planting red pepper around the park. Red pepper causes itching to humans or animals that come close to it.
Animals have a stronger sense of smell than people. When they smell red pepper, they turn away. At the same time, the communities would generate money from red pepper around the park. But before they start generating money from it, the communities need to first know the cause and aim of such a measure and appreciate it.
They need lessons on regulated spot hunting through which they can earn more money from meat than they can earn from their livestock. “One can easily earn US$25 from one animal instead of sh30,000 earned from an ordinary animal.
It is most likely that if the communities around the parks realise the high value of wild animals; they will see reason to protect them. According to Mapesa, this strategy has successfully yielded fruits in Botswana.
Most probably, farmers kill the lions because government doesn’t compensate them for the loss of their domestic animals. Though Mapesa admits that wild animals go outside the parks to hunt for cows, antelopes and crops, he says UWA doesn’t have the funds to compensate every affected farmer.
“We can’t afford compensation. It is hard to measure the damage like determining the worth of a lost cow. It is true that animals do trail outside the park and prey on the farmers’ livestock and crops; but we can’t afford to compensate whoever is affected. We only help one recover from the loss and then caution one about negligence,” he explains.
The government is working although she needs to pull up her socks. From all signs, our communities need to develop good will and cooperation. The Banyankore say, “Agetereine nigo gaata eigufa” (“it is combined efforts that break the bone”). Let all of us: churches, schools, mosques, NGOs, farmers, artists, army and of course politicians - join hands and save our mighty environment. Yes, we can.
Ends.
Word Count: 803.
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