EDITORIAL
Residents of Kamwenge District can finally breathe a sigh of relief after a stray elephant that had terrorized communities for months was safely captured and relocated to Kibale National Park.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority confirmed the operation in a statement shared on its X platform, calling it a major milestone for both community safety and wildlife conservation.
The elephant, a 20-year-old bull weighing approximately 3,496 kilograms, had been roaming areas including Kahunge Sub-county, Nyabishekye Village in Mpanga Parish, and Mbuka II near River Mpanga, destroying banana plantations, maize fields, and cassava gardens.
Local leaders, including officials from Kahunge and Kamwenge Sub-counties, had raised alarms about the risk to human life and food security.
UWA reported that a dedicated team tracked the animal for several days, safely sedated it, fitted it with a GPS collar, and released it in Kibale National Park. The operation was described as a “major win for community safety and wildlife conservation.”