The local community around Murchison Falls National Park has been complaining lately about marauding elephants crossing the park boundaries into their precious gardens to eat and destroy their crops.
During a recent incident when locals were chasing away an elephant that had strayed out of the park into their gardens at around 9pm, a 35 year old cyclist Mr. Charles Okello Otyem was very unfortunate to ram into the elephant as it was crossing the road. According to eye witnesses due to the speed at which Mr. Otyem was riding he died instantly. The incident happened at the village of Gwara as Mr. Otyem was riding from the trading center of Diima to the town of Karuma all of which border Murchison Falls National Reserve.
For a longtime now the local community around the park has been complaining to the Uganda Wildlife Authority about the marauding elephants to no avail. Uganda Wildlife Authority the body charged with protecting wildlife in Uganda has not compensated the locals in any way or managed to control the elephants.
Tom Okello the Chief Warden of the Murchison Falls Game Park told the press the Uganda Wildlife Authority regrets the incident and has given food and a coffin to the family of the deceased to help meet the burial expenses. The Chief Warden also appealed to the local community to help Uganda Wildlife Authority in caring for the wildlife in and around the national park.
The local leaders including the Member of Parliament of Nwoya district Mr. Todwong Richard have appealed to the government to help in compensating the local communities whose property and crops have been destroyed by the marauding elephants.
Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda and one of the most visited by tourists. It has wide range of both plant and animal species. However, there has been a high level of poaching by the local communities around the national park and if left unchecked could adversely affect the high volume of tourists visiting the Park. A Murchison falls tour includes a visit to the top of the falls from which the park derives its name as well as birding watching, sport fishing and wildlife game drives.
