Africa-Press – Uganda. More than 20 acres of maize and 600 acres of cotton were destroyed.
Authorities at Orom prison in Kitgum District are counting losses after a herd of stray elephants destroyed several acres of crops in the facility’s farm.
About 15 elephants reportedly raided the farm last Wednesday, destroying maize, and cotton, groundnuts, soya, and cassava plantations.
“They destroyed more than 20 acres of maize with corn and 600 acres of cotton. Our staff have also lost 10 acres of groundnuts, 10 acres of soya and five acres of maize,” the Prisons spokesperson, Mr Frank Baine, said.
He said the loss will affect the facility’s finances and nutrition for inmates and staff.
According to Mr Baine, the prison staff and the neighbouring community members tried to chase away the animals but failed until bullets were fired.
“The prison staff and the community failed to scare them away because they (residents) were just banging tins and empty jerricans. It was until we started shooting bullets in the air but it was also not very effective,” he said.
Mr Baine said the prison staff have been battling stray elephants from the neighbouring Kidepo National Game Park and Karenga Wildlife Reserve for the past three years.
“Wildlife scouts and rangers from Orom Detach would help us, but they are few and when the elephants strike, they are far away. When we engage our neighbours UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority), they say they don’t have enough manpower,” he said.
UWA response
However, the UWA spokesperson, Mr Bashir Hangi, told this newspaper that they had not yet been alerted about the havoc.
“l am not aware of the incident and the existence of animals there,” Mr Bashir said.
Mr Charles Odong, the youth councillor for Orom Sub-county, at the weekend said elephants also destroyed gardens in Taboi, Akodadwat, Urugot, and Thikao villages, among others.
“Some farmers have lost all that they planted in the first season because the elephants are many. We have spotted several herds in most villages neighbouring Karenga Wildlife Reserve,” he said.
Last week, a stray elephant killed a 60-year- old woman and injured two men at Padolo B Village, Lakang Sub-county, Amuru District.
The deceased was identified as Esther Akwongo, a resident of Gaji sub-ward in Lakang, while the injured are Mr Fred Odora, 50, and Mr Brian Odoki.
Mr Alfred Ocan, the game warden of Wang-kwar Conservation Area at Murchison Falls National Park, said they were not yet aware of the incident but noted that a team was yet to be dispatched to handle the matter.
NATIONAL DISASTER
In 2019, UWA declared raids and killings of people outside gazetted wildlife facilities by stray elephants across the country a national disaster. Mr Charles Tumwesigye, UWA director for operations, while in Oyam then, said deaths as a result of stray elephant attacks had become rampant. “Human-wildlife conflict is now a national disaster. We don’t like to see the people suffering,” he said, adding that UWA did not have enough manpower, resources and equipment to enhance its operations to avert human-wildlife conflict.
