By KT Reporter
A one-year-old baby girl is admitted to Hoima regional referral hospital after being attacked and critically injured by a stray chimpanzee.
The injured child has only been identified as Promise, daughter of Richard Ganjana of Kidukuru cell, Kitoba town council in Hoima district.
The stray chimpanzee raided the area on Friday morning at around 9 a.m as the parents were in the garden. The child had been put to play when the chimpanzee emerged from the nearby bush and grabbed her. The stray chimpanzee is believed to have come from the degraded forest reserves in Kitoba and Kyabigambire Sub-counties.
According to Ganjana, the victim’s father, the chimpanzee raided the area and grabbed the child, critically injuring her. She sustained severe injuries to her head, stomach, both legs, and hand.
Ganjana has blamed the government and wildlife authorities for neglecting community safety and failing to manage chimpanzee habitats properly.
Edward Barongo, the LCI Chairperson of Kidukuru Village, confirmed the incident and condemned the repeated chimpanzee invasions in the area and the delayed action by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
He said communities have not only sustained injuries and lost lives, but also suffered the destruction of crops and livelihoods.
Gilbert Kugonza, a resident, expressed outrage at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), accusing it of ignoring repeated community pleas to address the recurring chimpanzee threat to homes and lives.
Rose Ajuna, another resident, expressed concerns about the potential danger posed by the chimpanzees, especially to school-going children in the area.
A nurse at Hoima regional referral hospital, where the child is currently admitted, who spoke to URN on condition of anonymity, says that, though the injuries inflicted on the child are severe, she is responding well to treatment.
By Press time, Uganda Radio Network could not get a comment from Wilson Kagoro, the Warden for Community Conservation at Murchison Falls National Park, since his known mobile Telephone number was not on at the time of filing this story.
This is not the first-time residents in Hoima, Masindi, and Kagadi are being raided and attacked by stray chimpanzees.
In December 2021, a chimpanzee attacked and critically injured a 5-year-old boy in Mparangasi village, Kyabigambire Sub-county in Hoima district. The boy, Jonan Twine, was reportedly attacked while fetching water with his friends.
In March 2023, a two-month-old baby girl was attacked and killed by a chimpanzee in Kagadi. The child, Aroho Ahumuza, was snatched from her mother while on her way to harvest cassava.
The chimpanzee later abandoned the child in a nearby bush after inflicting severe injuries, and she later died from the wounds at Kagadi General Hospital.
In November 2024, leaders and residents in Hoima city petitioned the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to immediately intervene and relocate a group of chimpanzees that had been invading villages and causing destruction for the past four months.
The chimpanzees then strayed into several villages, causing significant damage to crops and injuring residents.
The most affected villages included Karongo, Bujwahya, Kihomboza, Budaka, Kyabalyanga, Rusembe, and Kibingo in Hoima West Division of Hoima City.
The chimpanzees had killed several animals, including goats, pigs, and sheep, as well as destroying vital crops such as bananas, maize, cassava, jackfruits, and groundnuts.
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