We dared the man-eater
Mar 17, 2005
THEY are dark-skinned and spot clean-shaven heads. But they also have contrasting features. One
None of the men has the anointing of biblical Samson, who wrestled down a lion and tore its jaws.
But they accomplished a similar mission, that of capturing a one-tonne man-eating crocodile that killed 83 in Bugiri
THEY are dark-skinned and spot clean-shaven heads. But they also have contrasting features. One looks mean. He is endowed with a generous nose and small eyes.
The second is a lean, jolly guy. He has big ears and is the youngest of the three. The third is reserved and calm with some traces of gray hair. He has a piercing gaze and speaks slowly with a deep voice.
None of the men depict characteristics of biblical Samson, who wrestled down a lion and tore its jaws to shreds. But the three men accomplished a mission similar to Samson’s.
In a nightfall raid last week, Peter Ogwang, Robert Mbagaya and Christopher Musumba captured a 60-year-old crocodile responsible for killing dozens in Bugiri district, without sedating it.
The three are based at Lake Mburo national park. They spoke to Arthur Baguma about their love for wildlife and how the mission was executed.
Peter Ogwang, 38,Game Ranger
Weighing 80kgs, Ogwang smiles when asked about the reptile he captured.
“I have never feared death. It was at the beginning of the training when I pondered about death. It never crossed my mind that I could die during this mission,â€
At 5.7 ft, Ogwang’s first encounter with a wild animal was decades ago.
“I used to play with monkeys. As a child I enjoyed running around with monkeys. At one time I was so close to monkeys that we fought for wild fruits.
Ogwang participated in the relocation of elephants in 1999 from Luweero and was also involved in relocating elands from Lake Mburo national park to Kidepo national park in Karamoja. This is the third crocodile he has captured.
He was born in 1967 to Matthew Ogwal and Salme Atoke in Lira district
The fourth in a family of seven attended Dr Obote College for his O’ and A’levels.
He then joined the Uganda Wild Life Institute, Kasese, for a certificate in wildlife management. He is married with five children.
Robert Mbagaya, 33, Game Ranger
He grew up near a national park and relates to wild animals without fear.
“I hail from Nyabushozi in Mbarara district. I saw animals dying at the hands of poachers. It gave me a conviction to fight for the rights of animals.â€
His training in crocodile capturing was dangerous. One time a crocodile jumped onto the boat during training in the Murchison falls park.
“Our trainer fell off the boat. We fought the reptile until it escaped with two rolls of our noosing wire.â€
Mbagaya was born to Joseph Kishokye and Josephine Nyakate.
He attended Mbarara high school for his O’ and A’levels.
He qualified as a ranger after training under the then uganda national parks. In 1995, he joined the Uganda Wildlife Institute for a certificate in wildlife management.
He is married with three children.
Christopher Musumba, 52, Assistant Game Warden
With experience in capturing animals spanning over 25 years, Musumba’s interest in wild game grew at a tender age. While at Katabi primary school, he visited the Entebbe Zoo (Uganda Wild Life Centre).
After cuddling a cub with the help of the zookeeper, he fell in love with wild animals.
After his o’levels he taught for a while before joining Entebbe as a zookeeper.
Now the assistant warden in charge of the Problem Animal unit, he says teamwork led to the capture of the crocodile.
“I was not afraid. It was a calling I accepted,†he recalls the first time he was told about the mission.
Wearing a blue shirt and green pair of trousers, Musumba cuts an imposing posture; on his shirt he wears a pip of Assistant warden.
He was crucial in capturing animals for zoo restocking.
His worst experience is when he camped overnight at State House, Entebbe, to capture a male chimpanzee, which had gone on a rampage.
He was born in 1952 to Silus Kakwisi and Margaret Mukarugarama in Entebbe.
The fifth in a family of eight attended Chadric Memorial Primary school in Entebbe before joining Masulita SS for his O’levels.
Shortly after, he taught at Katabi primary school and then went into zookeeping.
Later he enrolled for a course in management of endangered species at wildlife preservation reserve in the UK.
He also enrolled for a certificate in a wildlife management. He is married with 14 children, but two have died.
Science of crocodile capture
In 2004, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) invited a National geographic television resident herpetologist, Dr Brady Barr, to train two rangers — Robert Mbagaya and Peter Ogwangi in capturing crocodiles.
The training took place in the Murchison falls national park and on Lake Victoria.
After two months of training, two experts in capturing crocodiles were passed out.
The experts led by christopher Musumba executed a mission in which a massive crocodile was captured at Lugaga landing site on the shores of lake Victoria.
The mission
It started with the surveillance of the crocodile’s abode, its favourite spots, where it rests, feeds and breeds.
After establishing a typical day and night in the life of the reptile, the team travelled to Bugiri on Saturday armed to the teeth for the mission.
On Saturday March 5, at 8.30pm, they camped at the lake, using small boats.
They rowed a canoe, to avoid scaring it and used traps and ropes to net it. “We have several methods of capturing crocodiles, but we used only two — noosing and setting floating traps,†Musumba explains.
A spot torch was a major tool in the mission.
“At night, the eyes of a crocodile glow and become bloodshot. We used the torch to trace it. It would appear and disappear to elude us, but it can’t spend more than seven minutes under water without coming up to replenish its oxygen supply. We waited patiently and silently,†Ogwang narrates.
Surveillance continued throughout the night.
“At 4.30am, we noosed it, but managed to get only the upper jaw. We left it to go a distance. We waited until morning,â€
After several hours, the over 60-year-old reptile, weighing one tonne, was captured.
In the morning, the men tried to pull their catch from the water, but it was too heavy.
Towards the lakeshore, the crocodile put up a spirited fight after realising they were pulling it out of water.
Its weight had been underestimated. They estimated it at 500kg, but it was twice this weight. Over 30 villagers pulled it out of the water.
At the lakeshore, its head was covered with a blanket. Its hind legs were tied, sealing its only hope of escape. Using its hind legs it can gather enough force to escape instantly.
“We use crates to carry captured crocodiles, but this one was bigger than the crate we had brought along. We had to transport it on the pick-up truck,†Musumba explains.
The dreaded reptile was relocated to a crocodile farm in Buwama, Mpigi district.
Local reports indicate that 83 people had perished since 1983.
]
All fingers in the remote village pointed to the captured crocodile as the man-eater.
But they accomplished a similar mission, that of capturing a one-tonne man-eating crocodile that killed 83 in Bugiri
THEY are dark-skinned and spot clean-shaven heads. But they also have contrasting features. One looks mean. He is endowed with a generous nose and small eyes.
The second is a lean, jolly guy. He has big ears and is the youngest of the three. The third is reserved and calm with some traces of gray hair. He has a piercing gaze and speaks slowly with a deep voice.
None of the men depict characteristics of biblical Samson, who wrestled down a lion and tore its jaws to shreds. But the three men accomplished a mission similar to Samson’s.
In a nightfall raid last week, Peter Ogwang, Robert Mbagaya and Christopher Musumba captured a 60-year-old crocodile responsible for killing dozens in Bugiri district, without sedating it.
The three are based at Lake Mburo national park. They spoke to Arthur Baguma about their love for wildlife and how the mission was executed.
Peter Ogwang, 38,Game Ranger
Weighing 80kgs, Ogwang smiles when asked about the reptile he captured.
“I have never feared death. It was at the beginning of the training when I pondered about death. It never crossed my mind that I could die during this mission,â€
At 5.7 ft, Ogwang’s first encounter with a wild animal was decades ago.
“I used to play with monkeys. As a child I enjoyed running around with monkeys. At one time I was so close to monkeys that we fought for wild fruits.
Ogwang participated in the relocation of elephants in 1999 from Luweero and was also involved in relocating elands from Lake Mburo national park to Kidepo national park in Karamoja. This is the third crocodile he has captured.
He was born in 1967 to Matthew Ogwal and Salme Atoke in Lira district
The fourth in a family of seven attended Dr Obote College for his O’ and A’levels.
He then joined the Uganda Wild Life Institute, Kasese, for a certificate in wildlife management. He is married with five children.
Robert Mbagaya, 33, Game Ranger
He grew up near a national park and relates to wild animals without fear.
“I hail from Nyabushozi in Mbarara district. I saw animals dying at the hands of poachers. It gave me a conviction to fight for the rights of animals.â€
His training in crocodile capturing was dangerous. One time a crocodile jumped onto the boat during training in the Murchison falls park.
“Our trainer fell off the boat. We fought the reptile until it escaped with two rolls of our noosing wire.â€
Mbagaya was born to Joseph Kishokye and Josephine Nyakate.
He attended Mbarara high school for his O’ and A’levels.
He qualified as a ranger after training under the then uganda national parks. In 1995, he joined the Uganda Wildlife Institute for a certificate in wildlife management.
He is married with three children.
Christopher Musumba, 52, Assistant Game Warden
With experience in capturing animals spanning over 25 years, Musumba’s interest in wild game grew at a tender age. While at Katabi primary school, he visited the Entebbe Zoo (Uganda Wild Life Centre).
After cuddling a cub with the help of the zookeeper, he fell in love with wild animals.
After his o’levels he taught for a while before joining Entebbe as a zookeeper.
Now the assistant warden in charge of the Problem Animal unit, he says teamwork led to the capture of the crocodile.
“I was not afraid. It was a calling I accepted,†he recalls the first time he was told about the mission.
Wearing a blue shirt and green pair of trousers, Musumba cuts an imposing posture; on his shirt he wears a pip of Assistant warden.
He was crucial in capturing animals for zoo restocking.
His worst experience is when he camped overnight at State House, Entebbe, to capture a male chimpanzee, which had gone on a rampage.
He was born in 1952 to Silus Kakwisi and Margaret Mukarugarama in Entebbe.
The fifth in a family of eight attended Chadric Memorial Primary school in Entebbe before joining Masulita SS for his O’levels.
Shortly after, he taught at Katabi primary school and then went into zookeeping.
Later he enrolled for a course in management of endangered species at wildlife preservation reserve in the UK.
He also enrolled for a certificate in a wildlife management. He is married with 14 children, but two have died.
Science of crocodile capture
In 2004, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) invited a National geographic television resident herpetologist, Dr Brady Barr, to train two rangers — Robert Mbagaya and Peter Ogwangi in capturing crocodiles.
The training took place in the Murchison falls national park and on Lake Victoria.
After two months of training, two experts in capturing crocodiles were passed out.
The experts led by christopher Musumba executed a mission in which a massive crocodile was captured at Lugaga landing site on the shores of lake Victoria.
The mission
It started with the surveillance of the crocodile’s abode, its favourite spots, where it rests, feeds and breeds.
After establishing a typical day and night in the life of the reptile, the team travelled to Bugiri on Saturday armed to the teeth for the mission.
On Saturday March 5, at 8.30pm, they camped at the lake, using small boats.
They rowed a canoe, to avoid scaring it and used traps and ropes to net it. “We have several methods of capturing crocodiles, but we used only two — noosing and setting floating traps,†Musumba explains.
A spot torch was a major tool in the mission.
“At night, the eyes of a crocodile glow and become bloodshot. We used the torch to trace it. It would appear and disappear to elude us, but it can’t spend more than seven minutes under water without coming up to replenish its oxygen supply. We waited patiently and silently,†Ogwang narrates.
Surveillance continued throughout the night.
“At 4.30am, we noosed it, but managed to get only the upper jaw. We left it to go a distance. We waited until morning,â€
After several hours, the over 60-year-old reptile, weighing one tonne, was captured.
In the morning, the men tried to pull their catch from the water, but it was too heavy.
Towards the lakeshore, the crocodile put up a spirited fight after realising they were pulling it out of water.
Its weight had been underestimated. They estimated it at 500kg, but it was twice this weight. Over 30 villagers pulled it out of the water.
At the lakeshore, its head was covered with a blanket. Its hind legs were tied, sealing its only hope of escape. Using its hind legs it can gather enough force to escape instantly.
“We use crates to carry captured crocodiles, but this one was bigger than the crate we had brought along. We had to transport it on the pick-up truck,†Musumba explains.
The dreaded reptile was relocated to a crocodile farm in Buwama, Mpigi district.
Local reports indicate that 83 people had perished since 1983.
]
All fingers in the remote village pointed to the captured crocodile as the man-eater.