Diana Kibuuka
Man found with illegal possession of Hippopotamus pair of teeth has been remanded to Kigo, following an arrest by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), officers.
Bazara Ngima 51years old, a resident of Kyabisoro B village, Lyakirema parish, Nyakiyumbu sub-county, Bukonzo county in Kasese district appeared before Entebbe Grade 1 Magistrate Okowng Stella Paculal, on 2nd.August.2024 on charges of being found with two Hippopotamus teeth, a case he denied and was remanded to Kigo prisons until 16th. August.2024.
Bazara was arrested on 26th July. 2024 in Entebbe Municipality as he tried trading them to a one not yet identified woman.
It’s suspected that Bazara may have had a failed trade deal with the woman, who later reported him to the UWA officers that got him arrested and handed over to Entebbe police station, that charged him with unlawful possession of protected species, under file No: SD REF: 83/26/07/2024 and CRB No: 888/2024.
According to Uganda Wildlife act,2019 section 71(1b); A person found in possession of, sells, buys, transfers or accepts transfer of protected specimen; commits an offense, and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand currency points or to life imprisonment or both.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the National red list continues to classify Hippopotamus as Vulnerable mammals, with a current population according to IUCN as per 2017, standing between individuals 115,000 and 130,000 animals
Compared to the 2006 count of 125,000 -148,000, the numbers are decreasing and this is attributed to habitat loss and degradation alongside unregulated and illegal hunting. Hippos just like elephants have tusks which are sold as ivory and hippos are also being hunted and killed for their hides and flesh which is a delicacy to some communities. The sixteen-foot-long animal can also be slow to recover from population losses, partly because females typically have just one offspring every other year.
In Uganda Hippopotamus are widely spread but with bigger numbers concentrated in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park – they are according to UWA approximately 5383 hippos.
About The Author
