By Spy Uganda
Kampala: Following the death of six lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Management of Uganda Wildlife Authority has put up a reward of UGX 10,000,000= (Ten Million Uganda Shillings) to anybody with information that will lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of the people behind the heinous act.
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“Conserving our wildlife resources is a duty for all Ugandans and we should all work together in fighting all forms of wildlife crime. We therefore, argue the public to join us in this fight by giving us information in confidence so that the killers of our lions are brought to book,” said UWA in a statement.
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The Authority’s statement adds, “We request whoever has useful information to this effect to contact us through telephone number +256 776 800 152. We guarantee the confidentiality of everyone who will give us information.”
UWA says that ever since they discovered the dead lions on March 18, 2021, they have collected samples from the carcasses and taken them for laboratory tests to establish the actual cause of death which is yet to be known after the return of the results.
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UWA adds that other government agencies have also joined them in investigating this matter and they are discounting nothing in this undertaking until they get the perpetrators of this heinous act.
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“We reiterate 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,” reads UWA’s statement.
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Lions contribute much to Uganda’s tourism industry that has been a top foreign exchange earner to the country contributing almost 10% of GDP and 23% of the total foreign exports. Nature tourism has been contributing USD 1.6 billion to the economy and also contributes to the wellbeing of communities surrounding the wildlife-protected areas.
