Rangers Accused of Demanding Cash to Return Marauding Elephants to Murchison Park

Residents of Adibuk central village, Langele Parish, Lii Sub County in Nwoya district have accused Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers of demanding for facilitation money for them to repulse and drive back wild animals into the Murchison Falls National park.   

David Obali, a resident of Adibuk central village says for three weeks, a group of three elephants are moving in the community destroying harvested sesame exposed for drying, and bananas among other crops. Obali adds that the elephants have also destroyed three houses in his neighborhood in the past two weeks.

Jalon Lakony Opiyo, another resident of the area says for a year, whenever they make calls to the UWA rangers to drive away the elephants from the community, the ranger’s task them to contribute money to facilitate their transport and feeding while driving away the wild animals.

  

According to Opiyo, every time elephants invade the area, each member of the village which has around 2000 households contributes 1000 shillings -amounting to two million shillings - for the rangers to rescue them and their properties.

  

Opiyo notes that they have on several occasions informed their leaders of the demands by the rangers but the vice has not stopped. He says due to the hard financial times mostly caused by the heavy rains and floods which submerged most of the crops in the garden, they are unable to raise money to facilitate the rangers to drive away the three elephants which are currently terrorizing the area. 

  

Patrick Okello Oryema, the LCV chairperson Nwoya district says he is yet to receive the concerns of the locals on the demands of the rangers. 

  

Hanji Bashir, the communications manager Uganda Wildlife Authority says he is yet to receive the concern of the community members. He in a recent interview with our reporter advised the community members to always report unprofessional conducts of the rangers to the authorities so that action is taken. 

 

//Cue in “Elephants can always   

Cue out … we take action”//.  

Recently while appearing on a political debate on Favour FM, a Gulu City based radio station, Judith Acan Peace, the NRM candidate for Nwoya district woman MP said there is need to establish more wildlife outposts in areas which are along the elephant route so they can easily be managed.

Acan and the Incumbent Nwoya district MP Lilly Adong also observed that there is need to revisit the Wildlife act so that people are compensated adequately for the losses incurred due to animal invasions.

    

In September last year, 2 people were killed by the stray elephants in Nwoya district.