A stray Buffalo has killed one person and injured another in Alimugonza village, Pakanyi Sub County in Masindi district.
A stray Buffalo has killed one person and injured another in Alimugonza village, Pakanyi Sub County in Masindi district.
The deceased, 50 year old Edward Mugisa was attacked by the stray animal on New Year’s Day as he guarded his maize garden against baboons at about 6am.
Zurah Ganyana, the Midwestern regional police publicist says the injured buffalo attacked Mugisa when he tried to chase it away from his maize garden.
It hit him once and killed him on the spot. Mugisa’s herdsman, Dan Ssebowa, who had come to rescue him, was also attacked by the animal and left with fractured legs. He is now admitted at Masindi hospital.
Police suspects the buffalo to have strayed to the area from the Murchison Falls National Park. Alimugonza village borders the national park.
Ganyana says the police have brought the matter to the attention of Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA, whose officials later addressed residents and promised to restrain the wild animals.
URN could, however, not readily ascertain a comment from the officials as the authority’s spokesperson Lillian Nsubuga had her telephone off by the time of filing this report.
Area leaders have meanwhile blamed Uganda Wildlife Authority for the incident accusing them of failing to restrain the animals in the park.
Melikzedek Kanaginagi, the Masindi district vice chairman and Pakanyi sub county district councilor says the stray animals from the national park have been a problem for the last three years.
Kanaginagi claims that although reports have continuously been made to UWA officials, no steps have been taken and the animals have continued to destroy residents’ crops and now killing them.
The vice chairman demanded that UWA compensates for the loss of life and all the destroyed crops.
