Uganda Wildlife Authority officials
yesterday trapped a 600kg male crocodile suspected to have eaten four fishermen
and maimed scores at Lwanika Landing Site in Mayuge District since February. Mr.
Peter Ogwang, an assistant warden with the wildlife body, said the close to
three-meter-long reptile was trapped following reports that it had swallowed a
mother of four as she drew water from Lake Victoria.
The UWA Executive Director, Dr.
Andrew Seguya, who received the reptile at the Kampala headquarters on its way
to Karuma Falls for trans-location, warned that much as the reptile had been
taken out of Mayuge, it is not a guarantee that another one will not come up to
“colonize” the same area since crocodiles are territorial in nature. He said
the crocodiles are predominant in Mayuge because there is a lot of fish for
them to feed on.
The wildlife body director advised
the district local administration to build barriers and water tanks so as to
avoid people from moving closer to the lake to fetch water since it has been
the major death trap. The reptile, which drew several onlookers, will be taken
to Murchison Falls National Park where, according to Dr Seguya, there is low
human population but is also the perfect habitat for crocodiles.
“There is a lot of fish down at the
Murchison Falls which they can feed on and once in a while, it will also find
some wild animals which are also wildlife which is okay,” he said.
There has been a public outcry of
crocodiles eating people and injuring others in Mayuge for several years. The
crocodiles and the fishing community have been leading a cat-and-mouse life.
But UWA has intervened to mitigate the dangers.
More than 20 crocodiles have been
trapped from Nakasongola, Katwe, Kasese, Kasenyi and Mayuge districts since
2009.
