Elephant electrocuted in Queen Elizabeth National Park

An elephant estimated to be 35 years old died at the Mweya Peninsula of Queen Elizabeth National Park on Monday in what is feared to be as a result of electrocution.

According to Jossy Muhangi, the Public Relations Manager at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the incident was caused by a transformer.

Muhangi said that the carcass was discovered on Monday morning lying near a transformer with cables attached to a nearby electric pole.

The wire mesh fence surrounding the transformer  a few metres from the Visitor Information Centre, had been freshly smashed most likely by the elephant as it was trying to force his way through the enclosure.

Consequently, UWA management called Umeme staff to the ground who temporarily switched off the power to allow the recovery of tusks from the carcass and for veterinary experts to carry out a postmortem.

This is the third case of reported fatal electrocution cases in less than four years following two other cases involving elephants in Katunguru and Fig Tree areas of Rubirizi district.

Muhangi also said that Umeme's planned interventions to stop a repeat of such cases and the results of the postmortem will be shared in due course.

The elephant population is estimated at only 6,000 elephants in Uganda and this number has increased from an estimated 2,000 in 1986.

The elephant population had declined after years of political turmoil and civil unrest in the 1970s and 1980s.