LIGHT SENTENCE GIVEN TO THE BWINDI GORILLA MURDERERS

Conservation in Uganda continues to face the challenge of having judiciary officials that do not fully appreciate the value of wildlife to the country, and are therefore ready to hand down light sentences to suspects.
Uganda Wildlife Authority was   greatly dismayed by the light sentence that was handed down by court to the three men that were arrested for the murder of a mountain gorilla
 in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
They were sentenced to a fine of Ush50, 000 (US$19) on each count. These men included Begumisa Fideli, Kazongo Amos and Byamugisha Ronald and were arrested from Karambi Trading Centre with the assistance of the Police Dog Unit a day after a blackback was discovered dead in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with a spear protruding from its neck.
Doctors that carried out a post mortem on the dead gorilla discovered it had died a brutal death after it was speared through the right shoulder. The spear dug right into the gorilla’s lungs   which caused its death.

After the police dogs visited the murder scene, they led the  investigation team that comprised police personnel and UWA rangers to the neighboring communities and in the process, the three suspects   were identified.

However, in her ruling, the presiding magistrate said that prosecution had failed to produce enough evidence that the three actually killed the gorilla. The magistrate also noted that no DNA test was carried out to link the blood samples found on the panga and spear picked from one of the suspects’ house to the blood sample of the dead gorilla. 
Following her observations, the magistrate convicted Begumisa Fideri of two counts including entering a protected area without authority and possession of illegal devices capable of killing wildlife species. He was convicted and given a fine of Ush50, 000 on each count.
 
Earlier on in June 2011, poachers entered the park and killed a  mountain gorilla  called Mizano from the Habinyanja family. His death left a gaping hole in the family since he was the heir apparent to the only silverback in the family.
Mountain gorillas are classified   and categorized as one of   the highly endangered wildlife species. They are only found in Uganda, Rwanda and DRC
Mountain gorilla tourism is the highest contributor to tourism revenues in Uganda while tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner.

We should protect wildlife for a sustainable development

Estherr
www.wildugandasafaris.com
info@wildugandasafaris.com