Chimpanzee injures baby, family seeks financial support
Azaru therefore wants UWA to give them money that will cover these expenses.
By Our Reporter
Masindi: The family of the baby who was injured by a chimpanzee in Maramu village, Budongo Sub County, Masindi district is crying for financial assistance from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to help them treat the baby. The incident happened on Tuesday.
The four-month-old boy was grabbed from its mother’s back by the chimpanzee in the forest where she had gone to fetch water and sustained injuries in the private parts as the mother struggled to rescue it from the beast.
Agnes Azaru, who is attending to the boy at Masindi Kitara Hospital, says they do not have money for the medical bills and the associated costs, including feeding, while at the hospital.
Azaru therefore wants UWA to give them money that will cover these expenses.
She also appeals to the authorities to construct water sources for them to enable them to stop fetching water from the forests in order to avoid similar occurrences.
Dr. Michael Otaro, who is treating the baby, told ugreports.co.ug that the baby sustained injuries on the scrotal sack. Dr. Otaro noted that the condition will be managed, but it needs time since the injury is in a very sensitive body part.
The Budongo subcounty chairperson, Julius Kyahura, says cases of chimpanzees grabbing children from their mothers are common in the sub county, revealing that this is the third one in two years.
He, however, criticized UWA for not responding positively each time such incidents happen, despite being informed about them.
The chairperson says the subcounty has embarked on constructing boreholes in the areas near the forests in order to avoid similar attacks in the area.
The district chairperson, Cosmas Byaruhanga, expressed concern about the attack, revealing that he had notified UWA officials about the incident and that they were waiting for a report from the police about it so that they could do something.
Byaruhanga advised the family of the baby to use the law that compels UWA to compensate the people affected by wild animals so that they can get compensated for the attack on the baby.
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