Dispute rages over Uganda's disappearing lions

Kampala, Uganda



28 July 2007 09:46

Uganda's lions appear to have become the main casualties in a dispute between landless herdsmen and the authorities managing one of the country's biggest reserves. And with Britain's queen due later this year to visit the park that was named after her, the pressure is on to find a solution.

The number of lions in the Queen Elizabeth II Park, Uganda's second-largest national park, is dwindling at an alarming rate due to what wardens suspect are poisonings by herdsmen defending their cattle.

"Over 10 lions have been poisoned, notably one pride of nine lions has disappeared and we have lost radio communication with one mother that had been radio-tagged," said chief warden Tom Okello.

The lions have been disappearing over the past 15 months, he added. Despite intensive searches by park warders, they have not been spotted.

Okello suspects a group of about 10 000 Basongora tribesmen of poisoning of the missing animals to stop them preying on their cattle.

Plummeting numbers
A report by veterinarians and lecturers at the country's main Makerere University found that the number of lions, leopards and hyenas had plummeted since the tribesmen entered the park in March 2006.

"Over 80% of the hyenas have been killed and all leopards along the Nyamusagani River have been poisoned," Dr Ludwig Siefert said in the report. "We have also lost at least 11 lions in the last 15 months."

According to the report, the park's lion population has slipped from 94 in 1999 to 39 today. It would take 20 years to undo the damage done over the past 15 months, the reported added.

Lions have already been eradicated in several other parks in the region, prompting alarm among conservationists and the tourism sector alike.

"Without the cats, Queen Elizabeth park is likely to lose its appeal, as it happened with Mburo National Park, where the cats were poached off," Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) spokesperson Lilian Nsubuga said. "Ninety percent of the tourists who come to the park are interested in the cats ... If the number of animals keeps going down, the entire tourism sector will be hit."

The extent of the threat to the reserve's lions -- and other predators -- was slow to emerge.

"Body parts, including the claws, teeth and skin, are chopped off and taken away," said UWA director Moses Mapesa. "That is one of the reasons why it is difficult to find carcasses."

Few traces of the carnage are left behind as the animals' body parts are used for traditional and voodoo rituals, he added.

Autopsies established that the animals had been poisoned with Furadan, a powerful insecticide used in agriculture, said Okello. "We suspect that the intention of the herdsmen is to eliminate the large cats because they prey on their cattle," he said.

And as the university report showed, other species feeding on the poisoned carcasses had also been affected.

'False allegations'
But the herdsmen vehemently deny poisoning the cats. "These are false allegations," said Wilson Okaali, chairperson of the Basongora group for justice and human rights.

The 10 ,000-strong Basongora community occupy an area in the 5 200-square-kilometre park. It was originally intended as a temporary dwelling pending relocation by the Ugandan authorities.

The pastoralists were first displaced in 1954, when the park was created and named after the newly crowned queen of England.

As their tribe straddled several borders, many of the herdsmen and their families fled to what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo until the 1998-2003 war there forced them to move back. They were allowed to enter Queen Elizabeth II Park temporarily, where they graze an estimated 20 000 heads of cattle.

But earlier this year, health officials voiced concerns that the herds might spread diseases such as foot-and-mouth.

Although initially confined to the edge of the park, the Basongora have started encroaching deeper. According to some reports, that has encouraged other herdsmen in the region to bring their cattle for grazing.

"We are eagerly waiting for the movement of these people from the park to see what can be done," Okello said. But an initial attempt to evict 1 000 Basongora in May ended in violence.

The Basongora claim they have been given no viable option by the Ugandan government because the resettlement land they were offered could not sustain their herds.

Ugandan media have also suggested the government is in hurry to resolve the row before the queen visits the park that bears her name.

For the Ugandan government, it would be a highlight of the monarch's visit in November, where she will be attending the Commonwealth summit.

The Basongora also hope things will get better for then. "We have been informed by the government that land has been found, but it still has some crops on it that will be harvested in August. We hope to start moving in September," Okaali said. -- Sapa-AFP

quote:

Originally posted by 500nitro:
The Basongora also hope things will get better for then. "We have been informed by the government that land has been found, but it still has some crops on it that will be harvested in August. We hope to start moving in September," Okaali said. -- Sapa-AFP

Yeah, that is about all the Basongora will do - Sit on it and hope as they exterminate what could be a very lucrative means of funding for their future (selling lion hunts - why poison them off - sell them off). No, better to sit on your haunches, put out poison, drink pombe and hope. Worthless.
Brian

quote:

Originally posted by Allout:
Yeah, that is about all the Basongora will do - Sit on it and hope as they exterminate what could be a very lucrative means of funding for their future (selling lion hunts - why poison them off - sell them off). No, better to sit on your haunches, put out poison, drink pombe and hope. Worthless.
Brian

Well said. This is Africa. If you sit and wait long enough a smartass with dark glasses will come and tell you to join a demonstartation for: De people dey ah demande.... You will be taught to toi-toi and it will be a change to sitting on your haunches, drinking pombe and waiting. Waiting and hoping..... Drinking pombe. No more need to put out poison, all lions dead by now!

One day China will come and save the day, as they seem likely to do for Uncle Bob in Zimbabwe.

Sorry folks, I'm just a bit upset by being a victim of an affirmative appointee that simply does not do his job at all! And I suffer!

Yes, folks: This is Africa!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Andrew,

While I do envy your location in this world, I do not envy your position. I would love to live in Africa, even if only for a little while, but I would absolutely deplore having to live under the regimes that you all face on a daily basis. But as you said - this is Africa.

So find me a job and I will come be miserable and suffer with you for a while. We can talk bad about the leadership kill a castle or two or three or four or...


Best of luck to you.
Brian