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Liberia: Garwula Commissioner Lauds Hunters for Putting Down 'Bush Cow' That Caused Fear in Residents


2 OCTOBER 2020
Liberia News Agency (Monrovia)
By Morris S. Karneh



Sinje Town — Clarence Kamara, has lauded hunters in the district for killing a violent 'bush cow' that instilled fear in residents of the district over the past few weeks.

Over the weekend a group of hunters shot dead the animal that killed an old man and seriously injured his wife.

The short-horned buffalo of West Africa which is sometimes regarded as a separate species (Syncerus nanus) is usually referred to as 'bush cow' in Liberia

Speaking on Monday, October 19,at his compound, Commissioner Kamara confirmed the killing of the bush cow and commended the hunters for their effort in ensuring that serenity returned to the district.



The Garwula District Commissioner said the hunters' action shows that the district still has "brave men" who are willing to fight for the safety of the people against violent animals.

According Commissioner Kamara, since the news broke about the bush cow being on the rampage there was no peace on farms and in towns in the area.

"We know how these animals behave in normal circumstances; I am not talking about when it is wounded as was the recent case," Commissioner Kamara pointed out.

"We were totally living in fear as people of this distinct because we could not tell where the next attack would occur," he said.

"Now that it (bush cow) has been killed, it shows that calm has finally returned to our communities and also a clear indication that our traditional values still exist," Commissioner Kamara said.



Meanwhile, the Garwula District Commissioner has lifted the ban on farming activities, imposed shortly after the animal killed the old man and wounded his wife, and instructed farmers to resume normal farming activities.

"You know many of our people were harvesting; they can now go on and do their harvesting," he said.

At the same time, the Garwula District Commissioner has said now that the bush cow has been killed, the district leadership is going to conduct an investigation into the incident.

"Our first priority was to quiet the bush cow; now we are going to investigate the situation because we have been told that it was a hunter who tried killing the wildlife, though it has not been confirmed yet; but we will investigate to know the full story," Commissioner Kamara stated.

He added that if the investigation shows that a hunter was involved in the prior shooting of the bush cow, which resulted into the death of an old man, the person will face the full weight of the law.

Commissioner Kamara is, therefore, warning hunters in the district not to engage in hunting protected wildlife.