By Ronald Kabanza.
The joint security team has arrested 4 people suspected to have poisoned and killed the 6 lions in the Ishasha Sector of the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kanungu District.
Kanungu Resident District Commissioner Hajji Shafque Ssekandi Sengooba has confirmed the arrest of the 4 people following recovery of loin heads in their compound.
The security team reportedly recovered 4 lion heads tied up on a mango tree in Kyenyabutongo village in Kihihi Sub County in Kanungu District.
The suspects were nabbed following a tip off by a concerned resident.
The arrest comes hours after the management of Uganda Wildlife Authority UWA put a Shs10m bounty on the lions killers.
In a statement the authority guarantees confidentiality to whoever will give them information.
“Since we discovered the dead lions on March 18th 2021, we have collected samples from the carcasses and taken them for laboratory tests to establish the actual cause of death. Once the results of the tests are out, we shall inform the public”.
“Other government agencies have also joined us in investigating this matter and we are discounting nothing in this undertaking until we get the perpetuators of this heinous act.We reiterate our our unwavering commitment to protecting Uganda’s wildlife heritage”.
“Over the years, our concerted and consistent conservation efforts have seen an increase in animal numbers in all our protected areas and this trend continues despite the setbacks we encounter” the Statement read in parts.
Six dismembered lions believed to be poisoned were found dead and scattered in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area on Friday last week.
The death of these lions, one of the leading tourist attractions sends bad signals regarding the safety of Uganda’s lions in the various parks.
