UGANDA: LOOSE BEAST CHEETAH FROM KIDEPO NATIONAL GAME PARK WREAK HAVOC IN PADER MAUL OVER 500 DOMESTIC ANIMALS

Communities of Bolo Parish, in Awere Sub County, Pader district Northern Uganda they are nursing their frustration to mourn losses of their Sheep and Goats to Kitti-Kitti beast, the monsters that have turned to destroyed livestock restocking.

PADER DISTRICT-UGANDA:

 Every morning, howling for the loss of sheep and goats takes tools as beasts wreak havoc, Phillip Odong aka Olel a resident of Bolo Langgole village  Says for a month he only finds the head of sheep left in the compound every day, and the rest is a trail of blood.

 Odong Olel, is currently Headmaster of Lukwor North Primary School, Acholi-bur sub county codified to Oyeng yeng News in exclusive interview at his home at Langole village, our Correspondent ask him why is losing his goats and sheep to predators, do believed that theft is stelling them?

Answer: Odong Olel says so far he has lost sixty sheep and 10 goats to Kiti-kiti beast. The cheetah that he believed they are sneaking from Kidepo National Game Park, which is about 180 kilometers north east, in Karamojong sub region, the beast is attacking  his livestock at will?

The beast come at death of the night  when you are enjoying yours sleep, and just attack sheep, and you know sheep even if you are slaughtering them, they will not cry, besides that, I don’t  know at what time the beasts would be coming Kiti kiti is like theft, when they planned to steal they will not announce their  coming, now what I  see in the morning is remains which has been left by cheetah.

Disclosed that so far he has lost 60 sheep to monster Kiti-kiti and 10 goats too, says the beasts is not killing his animals alone but hundreds of domestic animals from his neighborhood too

“Bro Okumu Langol, one day when I woke up, when opening the door, I got the legs, head  and robe that I had tied with  sheep, at my door step. I had a full kraal of sheep and goats here in my place. But, the animals was eaten by Kiti-Kitti.” Odong Olol bewailed.

Question:  who are the victims of the attack  from your area here, have you try to seek for assistance from relevant authorities?

Answer: My next plan, in the near future, three years from now, when I retire from civil services, I will acquire a new place. I will just get 10 acres of land somewhere to put up paddocks of the livestock. But for now, I will keep the zero grazing of this goats and sheep which I will keep them behind grass thatch huts.

Because if I take them to my neighbors or brothers home, the problems we have here apart from Kiti-Kiti attacks on our domestic  animals, we have (bad guys called Aguu) the young generations who are everywhere they have become vices not only  to our animals but to the household even.

“Sometimes those young generations would come around, just loosen your goats from where you have tied them. And  even if I have plan to reallocate them for fear of the beast, there are predators out there waiting to avenge their hanger.” Odong Olel alludes.

Question: Do you have some challenges apart from predators?

First of all, the challenges we have  apart from the attack on our animals, there is lack of trust and community disintegration. We don’t have a unifying voice solve  problems affecting us.

For example, in the past when there was attacked by lion or the enemy,  like to n the case of the current cheetahs attacking animals from your kraal, community would  sound an alarm, what we called Oduri) ululation to inform that would inform the community the message of warning that there is imminent dangers. And the community would respond fourthhwith, and in case there was the Lion which had attack  the kraal. You the person who sounded alarm you are task by members of community who have responded to the call. The masses question you and you have to lead and persue the beast which wreck havoc in your homestead , you are required by law to give the blessing and lead  war against the predators.

In that manner, you would pick (Oboke Olwedo) which justified the normal course to kills Lion, for that matter who kava attacked your kraal, the clan leaders for that matter will order his subject to pursue the Lion, it will be killed because of his misdeed, now the traditional norms which used to keep our relation in bonding has been destroyed. Fighting cheetah single handed is now a big task to me, what else can I do. Odong Olel decries.

Odong Olel, reasoned that, part of the problame come from from the leadership. We have the  Local Government which is the arms of govrnment which is non functioning under devolution power has been transfer from central government to the Local Government, now we have Local Council 1, which our immediate lower arm of government including  the Chairman Local Council 3 which they are mandated to reenforce and made ordinances to protect such vices, but they don’t have power to support such attack which now turn to be  disaster to the community.

Adonga, Phillip, Northern Uganda Regional Land Officer, one of the concerned persons says let the community hunt for the beast and kill them.

“Now we don’t have hunters this day which used to be there, matter would have been history,  this would be a matter of community hunting them down and killing the wild Cheetah” Adonga laments

Mwaka Ojii, the Chairman Local Councilor 3, when contacted about the current attack, he was very dismayed.

 “I am very surprised to learn from you, let me go on the ground and make an inquiry about the incident .”

Toorach, the Local Councilor 1 of Bolo Langole confirmed the attack, says Kiti-kiti is killing goats and sheep in the area. He was in the company the Chairman Mwaka who went on the fact finding mission with the Sub County Security Intelligence officer of Awere sub county.

toorach admitted that there has been  his failure to report the issue to the relevant authorities.

“We have more than 500 goats and sheep which have been attacked by Kiti-Kiti, only that we don’t know what to do, the incident took about six months.” Odongkara acknowledged the attacks of the cheetah in their areas.

The attack on animals did not speared animals from the neighbourhood, Odongkara Justine, who is the area Local Councilor Chairman of Lamac west, in the same parish confirmed the attack in his area, says cheetah mauls so many goats and sheep in his areas, but he could not have justified why he was adamant not to report to the Uganda Wildlife Authority UWA.” Odongkara insinuates

Dr. Robert Okeny, Pader District Veterinary Officer DVO equally was very surprised when contacted by the Black Star News, says he was not aware that the cheetah has been mauling domestic animals in Bolo Pariah, Awere sub county.

“Thanks very much for informing me about the vices that are rampant descending on our animals, I will visit the areas and see what can be done as part of reparation. I will avail you with the Communication Officer for Uganda Wildlife Authority shortly. Is bad that a stray cheetah is getting loose from Kidepo National Game Park.” Dr. Okeny urged.

The attempt to contact the Sporks persons for Uganda Wildlife Authority UWA has been futile as he could not be reached in all his known phone contact.

Over the past few months, residents of Kanunggu district in western Uganda have decried that attacks on them, their farms and domestic animals from the wild animals that hail from Queen Elizabeth National Park has left scores of wounds.

The beast has turned the National Park which was one of the most captivating tourism sites in the district has since ceased to bring joy, but tears and fright among the residents

While in Nwoya district, Northern Uganda, the wail of cry has reach heaven, over 15 people has been killed by Elephants alone, and thousands of hectares of crops has been decimated by the wild animals, leaving scored of poverty instead of bring hope, wealth and joy