Uganda sustainable tourism in corridors to control human-wildlife conflicts “Elephants”

Elephants at Murchison Falls National Park, Elephants from South Sudan have destroyed crops in Adjumani. Wildlife officials in Uganda say the animals could have escaped to Uganda following a dry spell in the neighboring country.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority officials are battling a herd of elephants that crossed from South Sudan in Nimule National Park to villages of Pagirinya and Mukoyoro in Adjumani District. The elephants have from last week been razing acres of crops in the country. South Sudan is usually dry towards the end of the year.

“Elephants make long treks from Sudan to Uganda and back in search of pasture every year and these places are known wildlife corridors but the increasing population has prompted people to settle in the corridors that has caused a serious human-wildlife conflict,” Ms Lillian Nsubuga, the Uganda Wildlife Authority public relations manager, said last week.

Response

She said from the time the elephants crossed last week; they dispatched a team to drive them from people’s gardens. “Efforts are under way to drive them towards River Unyama where there no communities that are not an easy thing because elephants cannot be chased like cows. Rangers either fire in air or use chili to disperse the elephants hiding in bushy places that cannot be achieved easily,” Ms Nsubuga added.

Mr. Tom Okello Obong, the Murchison Falls Conservation Area manager, said many parts of northern Uganda are remote and filled with bushes that make it easy for elephants to hide in the bushes yet gardens are far apart and surrounded by big bushes. She said people should cultivate near areas where elephants fear going and respect wildlife corridors.