Lion shot dead by UWA rangers after escaping from cage

Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers have shot dead a lion that escaped from its cage after an accident on Saturday morning.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Educations Centre(UWEC) Executive Director James Musinguzi, the happened on Saturday morning when Letaba, one of the male lions at UWEC aged 10 years escaped from the cage while being transported back to Entebbe after carrying out a conservation education program.

The conservation education program was part of the  Empango celebrations for Toro kingdom that took place in Fort Portal.

“The Outreach Conservation Education Officer who led the team for this activity reported that on their way back from Fort portal at Kalenga village in Mubende district, the transport truck swerved off the road leading to the collision of animal crates and in the process, the lion escaped from his crate to a nearby community animal farm,”Musinguzi said.

According to the UWEC boss, UWA rangers, police and community leaders were alerted of the escape of the lion prompting the search for the animal that was later cited in the community highly charged after killing three pigs and injuring a cow.

Efforts to tame the charged lion by the veterinary doctor that included trying to dart it proved futile and at this moment it was realized that Letaba had become highly agitated, dangerous and a threat to human life.

“A painful decision was made after consultations to put him out of action at 9:00 am. Thereafter the carcass was transported back to UWEC for postmortem.”

The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Executive Director described the incident as a sad situation on their side for losing one of their iconic animal species and ambassadors of conservation education in the country.

Letaba was brought to Uganda in 2015 from South Africa to replace Kibonge who had died due to old age.