Chris Wendi at Masindi Police Station. Photo Credit: The Insider

Wildlife law enforcement actors from Natural Resource Conservation Network (NRCN), Eagle Network together with police mounted an operation on 22nd September, 2015 in Bulisa in which they seized 30Kgs of Hippopotamus Ivory and arrested one person who had illegally got the Contraband. The suspects identified as Chris Wendi is currently detained at Masindi police station waiting prosecution. His other accomplice identified as Kadogo however managed to escape and is being looked for by police.

In a press statement sent to media houses by the Information officer NRCN, Laban Muhondo, it is stated that Hippos are under part B of the Game Preservation & Control Act of 1959 as amended and are not to be hunted or captured except under special permits, however their population has drastically decreased and are now listed in Appendix one by CITES (Convention on International Trade of wild Fauna and Flora). Hippo teeth or Ivory are also used as substitutes for Elephant Ivory.

The operation was done jointly after an investigation in the area, having been informed by concerned citizens about the illegality of the business which has been taking place in Bulisa District and the surrounding areas. When asked about the source of the Ivory, the suspects said they poached from Bugungu Game Reserve and Murchison Falls National Park.

“The suspect and his accomplices   have been looking for market for the ivory for months before NRCN officers and the authorities confronted them,” the statement read.

This comes amid rampant cases of poaching in the East African region with reports indicating that a lot of Hippos are being killed in Uganda annually.

Uganda has been identified as one of the leading transit routes for smuggling ivory out of Africa, with several incidents of ivory seizures at Entebbe International Airport and recovery of wildlife carcasses in recent days. The demand for ivory in the Far East has attracted criminal cartels to Uganda, who are feeding the insatiable demand.

The post Wildlife law enforcement seize 30Kgs of Ivory and arrest one in Masindi first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

African Grey Parrots

A team of Natural Resource Conservation Network (NRCN) officials and the Police have seized 6 African Grey parrots from Entebbe at Kigungu landing site in Wakiso district.

A joint team of Police, NRCN, in collaboration with UWA, mounted an operation on Saturday 5th , following a tip off that some wildlife traders  from Kalangala are holding parrots destined to Kigungu landing site with the intention of exchanging them for money. Two suspects identified as Ssekaja Jonathan and John Kabuye were arrested and are currently detained at CPS Entebbe waiting to appear in court for prosecution. Parrots are listed under Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna.

According to Muhindo Labana, the media officer NRCN, the birds were found in such poor shape and condition that they had to be taken for rehabilitation at the former Zoo now known as the Uganda Wildlife Educational Center – UWEC as they carry out investigations to have the culprits apprehended.

The post African Grey parrots saved from wildlife traders first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.