Grief and shock have engulfed residents of Kahyooro B, Karuswiga Ward in Muhorro Town Council, Kagadi District, after a chimpanzee attacked and killed a five-month-old baby boy yesterday.
The attack occurred at around 8:00 a.m. when the infant’s mother, Janet Kobusinge and grandmother, Mary Nsungwa, were weeding beans near their home.
Nsungwa said the chimpanzee suddenly emerged from the nearby Katyoboona Forest Reserve, grabbed the baby and fled into the forest.
Nsungwa tearfully recounted that they immediately screamed for help, but the chimp ran too fast.
Residents responded to the alarm and mounted an intensive search, but unfortunately, the baby’s lifeless body was later discovered deep inside the forest.Nsungwa on her killed baby
The baby’s father, Rodgers Ahaisibwe, blamed the government for failing to properly manage chimpanzee habitats, saying that local communities are now living in fear.
He says these animals no longer have safe places in the wild, so they keep invading their homes.
Ahaisibwe said, the government should act fast to protect people and compensate affected families.
He also appealed for support with burial expenses and compensation.Ahaisibwe on being Compensated
The Lc3 Chairperson of Muhorro Town Council, Godfrey Nangonza, condemned the increasing chimpanzee attacks and criticized the government for its slow response.
He says they have lost several people and livestock to these animals.
Nangonza saidthe Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities must speed up the establishment of a wildlife sanctuary to reduce human wildlife conflicts.Nangonza on Gov’t’s intervention
Still mourning, residents expressed anger and frustration over repeated chimpanzee attacks and the absence of lasting solutions.
They threatened that if the government fails to protect them, they will be forced to defend ourselves. Residents on Katyobona Forest
By press time, police had visited the scene, conducted a postmortem examination and handed over the baby’s body to the family for burial as investigations continue.
