By Bondry Kilenga
Farmers of Adwal parish in Abim district are counting heavy loses after stray elephants destroyed more than 10 acres of various crops.
The elephants invaded the area on Monday night destroying vast gardens of millet, sorghum, cassava, and banana plantations among others.
Dick Otto, the LC3 chairman of Abim Sub County, said that some of the crops destroyed were due for harvesting in the next few weeks.
He stated that the community tried to scare away the elephants by shouting, beating drums, saucepans, and jerrycans, among other methods, but their efforts were in vain.
Otto suspects the elephants could have strayed from Kidepo National Game Park.
According to him, he contacted UWA officials at Kidepo National Game Park who then sent a team of game rangers to assess the magnitude of the damage caused by the stray elephants.
Otto is now calling on Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to find a permanent solution to continued incursion of elephants and other wild animals into neighbouring communities.
Richard Muhabwe, the Chief Warden of Kidepo National Park, recently told Etoil A Karamoja that preparations for the construction of a 137-kilometer electric fence around the park are in advanced stages.
He said that the construction is expected to commence in August, 2025.
The community remains hopeful that urgent measures will be taken to protect them and their crops from future attacks by stray elephants and other wild animals.
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