Gerald Tenywa
8 January 2008
Kampala — A TEAM of specialised rangers have captured a female crocodile that has been terrorising herdsmen and fishermen along River Kafu located at the border of Nakasongola and Masindi district.
The acting spokesperson at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Vernice Mirembe, said a team of five rangers led by Christopher Musumba went to Kafu on December 27.
"They moved to many areas, set up traps and captured the reptile three days later. They baited it using a noose and a self-interlocking wire that trapped the crocodile, making it easy for the team to blind fold it and wrap it into a blanket before tying up its limbs," she said.
Mirembe added that the crocodile, measuring about four and a-half-metres and weighing close to 600 kilos, was tied with the help of the residents and relocated to a private crocodile farm in Buwama, Mpigi district.
"It will support tourism and education activities at Buwama, which is becoming a popular destination for visitors from Masaka and Kampala," she said.
This brings to three the number of crocodiles UWA has captured in the last three years. The longest crocodile found around River Semliki more than four decades ago, measured five and a-half-metres.
Although some of the crocodiles are frequently washed by floods into water reservoirs (dams) far from River Kafu, Mirembe cited over-fishing as one of the main causes of the crocodile attacks.
"The crocodiles feed on fish and when the fishermen deny them food, they become hungry and start hunting humans for food."
Mirembe said better fishing methods and the provision of safe water to the communities would help.
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