Masindi District has witnessed a disturbing rise in human-chimpanzee conflicts, with at least 11 people attacked and two infants killed in the past seven months, according to local leaders and residents.
The incidents have primarily affected communities in Budongo Sub-county, Bujenje County, with young children being the most vulnerable.
The latest tragedy occurred last Saturday when a three-month-old baby from Wiliya Village was attacked and killed by chimpanzees while the mother had gone to Budongo Forest to collect firewood.
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Eyewitnesses said the infant began crying, prompting the mother to breastfeed, when a group of chimpanzees emerged from the forest, seized the baby, and fled.
Despite efforts by villagers to intervene, the baby died while being rushed to a clinic.
LC1 Chairperson Hannington Andama described chimpanzees as a growing threat to local communities, attributing the increase in attacks to shared water sources between humans and wildlife.
He appealed to the government to fence off the forest and provide alternative water sources to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
Bujenje County MP Kenneth Kiiza Nyendwoha confirmed that the area has experienced repeated wild animal attacks, particularly involving chimpanzees targeting young children.
He reported that two children under one year have died in the past four months and at least eleven attacks have occurred in seven months.
Nyendwoha noted that he has repeatedly raised the issue with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Ministry of Tourism but that no effective interventions have been implemented. He called for urgent government action to prevent further loss of life.
Wilson Kagoro, a UWA Conservation Officer at Murchison Falls National Park, said the authority is aware of the incidents and has dispatched teams to assess the situation. He added that attacks by chimpanzees on community land or unprotected areas are considered compensable under current regulations.
Eyewitness Harriet Katusiime recounted that the baby's cries drew the chimpanzees from the forest, while Mark Bogere described confronting four chimpanzees near the scene in an attempt to rescue the infant.
The child's father, Julius Birija, appealed to UWA to intervene, citing repeated fatal incidents in the area.
Leaders are urging the government and wildlife authorities to act swiftly by fencing dangerous forest zones, providing alternative water sources, and increasing community awareness to prevent further human-wildlife conflicts.
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