Opinion: It is noted that for the past two years, Buliisa Sub County has been facing severe problems caused by the invasion of elephants from the Murchison fallsNational park into villages resulting in the loss of humanlives and significant property damage.
First and foremost, I want to take this opportunity to appreciate the Uganda Wild life Authority (UWA) for preserving wildlife and protecting these magnificent creatures, however the escalating conflict between humans and elephants is reaching a critical level and the safety of the community members in Buliisa Sub County is being seriously compromised.
At least three community members in Buliisa have been killed by the elephant which strayed from Murchison falls National Park. The deceased people includes the 67-year old Moogo Ungyiera, a 15 year old boy identified as Abdu from waiga 2 Primary school and a 42 year old woman identified as Janet Bero of waiga village and
caused harm to the rest. The elephant also raided people’s crops destroying gardens of cassava, maize, pumpkins,
sweat potatoes, mango trees, orange and jackfruit tree. This has all led to a state of fear and insecurity among the
local population in Buliisa.
The leaders said that children who travel long distances to school also have dropped out because of the state of fear and insecurity.
It is noted that all this is happening because of climate and human activities in sensitive areas such as charcoal burning, farming practices, oil drilling, food insecurity, dry grass and rainfall which have all interplayed resulting in a dynamic and dangerous conflict scenario that can be detrimental to the balance of both communities and elephants living together in peace hence leading to human-elephant conflict which is a complex problem. Elephant impacts on livelihoods, food security and personal safety understandably hence leading to
communities becoming intolerant of the wildlife with which they share the land. It’s essential to emphasize that people do not wish to harm upon these elephants however, the present situation poses a significant risk to human lives and livelihoods .I believe that a sustainable and humane solution can be found to ensure the safety of both the local community and the wildlife.
I therefore call upon UWA to conduct a thorough investigation to understand the reasons behind the increased incidents of elephant’s invasion and determine vulnerable areas in the affected community and take necessary action to minimize the extent of damage.UWA should immediately implement effective mitigation
measures to prevent further encounters between elephants and humans.
The government should also address climate change which impacts on wildlife and cause human-wildlife conflicts. As the climate changes, it alters habitats and food availability for animals like elephants, leading them to venture into human settlements in search of sustenance. By implementing climate mitigation and adaptation
measures, we can help maintain stable ecosystems, protect natural habitats, and reduce the likelihood of elephants encroaching on human territory. Additionally, promoting coexistence strategies, such as establishing
buffer zones and utilizing deterrent methods, can help minimize conflicts between humans and elephants, thereby protecting both people and their crops The author is Olive Atuhaire, a concerned
citizen.
Disclaimer: As UG Reports Media LTD, wewelcome any opinion from anyone if it’s constructive for the development of Uganda. All the expressions and opinions in this write-up are not those of UG Reports Media Ltd. but of the author of the article.
Would you like to share your opinion with us?Please send it to this email: theugreports@gmail.com.
