Kampala - Angry Ugandan conservation officials hit out Friday at the shooting of a crocodile which, although it had killed nine people, had been shot "in a killing spree" at Lake Victoria.

"It is true the crocodile killed and ate nine people since January and this included one victim last week - but it is illegal to kill wildlife," Uganda Wildlife Authority spokesperson Lillian Nsubuga said.

"Even if it was killing people, they should have alerted us and we would have taken it away, because it has a right to life," she said.

The animal, shot on Wednesday, had killed nine people since January.

The crocodile, weighing between 800 and 900 kilos, reckoned to be 35 years old and whose gender had yet to be established, was shot by a district vermin control guard near Lake Victoria's Kiyaga landing site, south-east of Kampala, after residents sent an urgent message that it was killing people.

But wildlife officials were saying that the action was a result of the ignorance of the need for conservation on the part of the communities and district officials.

"We need to step up sensitisation programmes because district authorities and people are ignorant of conservation.

"People called the vermin guard and instead of calling us. He just got a gun and killed the crocodile," said Nsubuga.

The reptile was reported to be an endangered giant Nile crocodile, which has an average life span of 45 years although many live up to 60 years.

Conservationists believe that some of these reptiles may clock 100 years.

Uganda has a well-organised donor and state-funded conservation programme, under which animals trapped in the wild, in communities, wounded or rescued from poachers and smugglers are taken to a protected forested sanctuary on the edge of Lake Victoria.

The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) facility is currently looking after two rescued crocodiles, one aged 11 and the other 15.

"Those who shot the animal were unaware that it was stuck in the community," UWEC Executive Director Andrew Seguya said.

"We could have taken it if it was not killed. Nile crocodiles are classified as endangered and it is possible that legal proceedings can be taken against whoever killed that crocodile." - Sapa-dpa

Kathi, I always enjoy reading these articles. Thank you for posting them.

Russell

Gives you some real insight into the value of human life in Africa. Familiar tones have been ringing in the US for a few years as well when it comes to the value of a human life vs. that of an animal. Incredible.

I hope they gave the poor bugger a proper Christian burial after infringing it's 'right to life'!!
Anything which kills humans has a right...to a SHORT life!!

quote:

"Even if it was killing people, they should have alerted us and we would have taken it away, because it has a right to life," she said.

I would wager to say that those 9 people have a right to life also. But so goes the wisdom of self rightoues, uninformed, stupid arrogant pseudo officials.

Amazing...

The funny thing is that I've met and spoken with Lillian Nsubuga of the UWA several times, and she seemed to be a very reasonable person. She wasn't anti-hunting at all from what she said back then. Guess she's under pressure from all sorts of so-called "conservation" groups.

It certainly wouldn't hurt if the UWA got tons of e-mail informing them that this kind of "conservation" is total BS. Their general e-mail: uwa@uwa.or.ug

I have Lillians direct e-mail stashed away somewhere, and will try to find it, and add it to this post later.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
"People called the vermin guard and instead of calling us. He just got a gun and killed the crocodile," said Nsubuga.

I wonder why they called the vermin guard instead of these idiots.

Uganda: No Crocodile Tears For 35-Year Old Man-Eater Of Mukono

The Monitor (Kampala)

July 28, 2006
Posted to the web July 28, 2006

Evelyn Lirri
Kampala

IT has terrorised them for years but residents got sweet revenge last Wednesday when Kiyaga's man-eating crocodile died.

The crocodile is believed to have eaten nine residents of Kiyaga landing site in Mukono since January.

Vermin guards lured the reptile with fresh meat and fish and eager to continue its feast, it fell in the trap. They shot the reptile providing relief to the residents.

Only Vanice Mirembe, Uganda Wildlife Authority's community conservation officer in charge of problem animals mourned the beast that ate a resident last week.

Mirembe was sad that UWA had failed to rescue the male crocodile of the Nile species, which weighed between 800 to 900 kilograms.

She said vermin guards, who are trained by UWA to take charge of problem animals but are under the ministry of Local Government, killed it.

The vermin guards take charge of problem animals in areas outside UWA protection.

Mirembe said residents had been complaining about the crocodile.

She said usually when crocodiles become threats, they capture them and take them to either Buwama crocodile home, located on the Kampala-Masaka road or transferred to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe.

"Unfortunately, before we came for them they decided to kill it," Mirembe said.

To Kiyaga residents the crocodile's death was a blessing for another reason.

Many rushed to remove its tongue, claws, nail, nose and private parts.

"We have been told they are used for witchcraft purposes," Mirembe said. "That's why the residents removed them before UWA officials came to remove the crocodile from the landing site."


UWA official believe the crocodile was 35 years old.

That is a tender age to die for Nile crocodiles that live for an average of 45 years in the wild though the lifespan of over 56 years has been recorded in captivity and estimates of 70 -100 years are known.

The crocodile carcass was lying at the UWA offices in Kamokya.

Maybe Vanice Mirembe was "mourning" because it hadn't eaten enough humans yet.

Endangered species? Is that just an Ugandan designation. I'm planning on shooting one in Tanzania in a little over thirty days.

It's kind of scary that there are lame brains even in Africa; I thought this more characteristic of civilized countries.