Local tourists heading to Kidepo Valley National Park where the administration has introduced drones to strengthen surveillance. Photos by Walter Okot and Arnest Tumwesige
By Walter Okot
KAABONG: Uganda Wild Life Authority (UWA) has introduced drones to curb poaching and encroachment on community land by wild animals.
The management has hired two drones and a personnel to operate them and alert game rangers for immediate action in case wild animals are marauding within the community.
Richard Muhabwe, the chief warden of Kidepo Valley National Game Park said the drone were introduced for surveillance in 2021.
“We are using drones for passive surveillance of wildlife going to community, to locate illegal activity, monitoring hotspots for poaching among others, so that we reduce the threats and boost conservation,” Muhabwe said.
According to Muhabwe the introduction of drones for surveillance has helped in reducing wildlife-human conflicts, led to arrests of poachers and control of wildfires.
Muhabwe said with funding from conservation partners, they have also recruited volunteers to be community wildlife scouts, and equipped them to intervene in cases of problem animals.
Gertrude Kirabo, senior warden community conservation, said through a revenue sharing project, the community bordering the park has placed 200 beehives along the park boundary.
Kirabo explained that said once the beehives are colonized, they will minimize elephant encroachment into the community at the peak months of August to October when crops are maturing.
“The communities have invested their revenue sharing into the ecotourism projects with intention to be able to tap into tourists that are coming in the park and get some money from it,” she said.
Statistics from Kidepo Valley National Game Park show that each season, between five-six injuries and two deaths arising from attacks by wild animals are registered.
Compensation for animals’ damage
The senior warden community conservation said once they register cases of injuries and death, they follow up and take the victims to a medical facility for treatment, until the victim is discharged then they start processing their compensation.
She revealed that four people who were either injured by wild animals or died due to an attack by wild animals in the community have received their compensation.
The officer however said compensation law on crops is still new, so victims, especially in Karenga, are still submitting their claims.
John Opio, the law enforcement officer at Kidepo Valley National Game Park noted that illegal poaching still remains a big challenge in the game park.
Opio revealed that more than 20 poachers are in police custody and others have been prosecuted for poaching.
“Since 2020 to date, we have recovered 22 guns from poachers mainly from South Sudan, over 500 traps, over 600 snare wires and other objects”, he said.
The officer said most of the poachers in detention are those who enter the park to mine gold.
John Okello, a resident of Kalokudo village in Kalokudo sub-county Karenga district, said they’re losing acres of crops to wild animals, while many have been were injured and killed by wild animals, but no compensation has been made yet.
“The process of filing compensation is long,” Okello said.
He however acknowledged that since UWA introduced the use of beehives and chilli along the park boundary, the number of marauding elephants have reduced.
Okello, who was given 10 beehives by UWA is optimistic that when they colonise, he will also get money from the honey.
Scouts prone to shots
Julius Oryem Amunyu, is a resident of Nakidir village, Kidepo Town Council Karenga district, and one of the scouts for Kidepo Valley National Park.
He said although they were given whistles, vuvuzelas, aprons to chase away wild animals, they are not given uniforms to differentiate them from poachers, making them prone to shots from rangers.
Oryem, who has been a wildlife scout for six years, also expressed disappointment about the delay of compensation for crops destroyed
“We are sensitized that once wild animals have destroyed your crops or property, you should report so that you are compensated, but up to now, many people have sent their claims and no one is paid,” Oryem said.
