NELSON K
Residents of Rwagaana Cell in Kigaaga Ward, Southern Division, and those from some parts of Western Division Rukungiri Municipality have raised concerns over monkey attacks in their gardens, calling upon the responsible team from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to return the creatures to their natural habitat.
Residents of some parts of Southern Division and Western Division, particularly those in Rwagaana Cell in Kigaaga Ward, report continued daily monkey attacks destroying their crops, resulting in heavy losses and famine.
According to Mr. Tugume Owen, a resident of Rwagaana Cell in Kigaaga Ward, Eastern Division, farmers in the area have suffered huge losses after monkeys, which they suspect escaped from Queen Elizabeth National Park, attacked their gardens, destroying crops and even uprooting them.
He said the number of monkeys is estimated to be between 150–200, which has made it difficult to control them. However, they have been using domestic dogs to chase them away from their gardens. He added that the monkeys are too clever, to the extent that they have completely failed to poison them, as they have escaped all tricks of being poisoned. He therefore calls upon the Wildlife Authority to intervene.
The Rwagaana Cell LC1 Chairperson, Mr. James Tibarebana, said that farmers have been crying daily after suffering losses and spending a lot of time guarding their gardens. He said the monkeys’ habitats are suspected to be in trees and wetlands around Rwagaana Cell and areas such as Kitimba, Rwagaana, Kigina, and others, which has left farmers in panic and facing famine due to seasonal heavy losses.
The sitting Southern Division LC3 Chairperson, Mr. Ngabirano Denis, confirmed the regular monkey attacks in some areas of Southern Division, mostly Kigaaga Ward and areas outside the division, which have given farmers sleepless nights and caused daily outcries after heavy losses. He said that as the division’s custodian, he informed the Rukungiri District Environmental Office, whose team came and monitored the habitats and pledged to look for a solution through the Ministry and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. However, to date, there has been no response from UWA.
However, in response, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), through Mr. Moses Muhindo, the Supervisor of Queen Elizabeth National Park, expressed sympathy towards farmers who have suffered heavy losses due to monkey attacks and destruction, stating that UWA was not aware of the challenge.
He pledged to make follow-ups with the help of locals and the District Environment Office to send technical officers to assess and confirm the creatures’ habitats. After the assessment, they will decide how to capture them and return them to their natural habitats to save the farmers.
