Mubarak Munafualiwo, who led a team of other fishermen to track down and capture the crocodile says it attempted to attack their colleagues’ boat near the shores prompting them to lay traps for it.
Residents of Kibuye village in Bukamba Sub County in Kaliro
district have captured a killer crocodile.
The residents captured
the crocodile on Sunday morning and are currently keeping it in a well near a
borehole in Kibuye trading center for public viewing.
The residents told URN on Monday morning that the crocodile
that has been staying in Lake Kyoga waters had become a threat to their lives
and livestock.
There were mixed views among the residents on what to do
with the crocodile.
Some of
the residents wanted it killed but the elders rejected the proposal, saying it
should be passed on to Uganda Wildlife
Authorities-UWA for safe custody.
Mubarak Munafualiwo, who led a
team of other fishermen to track down and capture the crocodile says it attempted
to attack their colleagues’ boat near the shores prompting them to lay traps
for it.
He says
they had earmarked some spots where the crocodile would stay and stopped the
community members from accessing the areas but said visitors would find
themselves in trouble.
//Cue in: “Kale ekitundu…
Cue out…tiyakubilweku,”//
Francis Zzagenda, the Chairperson Kibuye landing site told
URN that crocodiles are a menace to their community, which entirely depends on
Lake Kyoga for survival.
He says since there is little government intervention on
identifying the risky areas, local leaders have resorted to sensitizing
fishermen on how to co-exist with the crocodiles by zoning certain areas along
the shoreline.
//Cue in: “Tutewanizile wano…
Cue out…area hanu,”//
Rose Kaziba, another resident says that they have witnessed
an increase in the number of crocodiles along the shoreline for the last five
months due to the ever-rising water levels. She says some crocodiles
have sought refuge in swamps where they waylay unsuspecting passersby.
//Cue in: “Engoina…
Cue out…kukyalo kuno,”//
UWA Spokesperson, Bashir Hangi says efforts of retrieving the
crocodile from the community are underway.
