INNOCENT ATUGANYIRA

On October 29, 2025, a devastating chimpanzee attack occurred in Kahyooro B, Karuswiga Ward, Muhorro Town Council, Kagadi District, Western Uganda, resulting in the death of a five-month-old baby boy.

The infant was reportedly snatched by a wild chimpanzee at around 8:00 a.m., when the baby’s mother, Janet Kobusinge, and grandmother, Mary Nsungwa, were weeding beans near their home.

“Nsungwa recounted the harrowing incident, stating that a chimpanzee unexpectedly materialized from the fringes of the Katyoboona Forest Reserve, seizing the young infant before vanishing back into the thick vegetation.”

Upon realizing the grave danger, the family immediately raised a desperate alarm, drawing numerous residents who swiftly mobilized to search for the animal.Despite their urgent efforts, the infant’s lifeless body was tragically discovered deep within the Katyoboona Forest Reserve.

The father of the deceased, Rogers Ahaisibwe, accused government, asserting that it’s profound and persistent failure to adequately gazette and effectively manage critical chimpanzee habitats has directly led to a catastrophic escalation in human-wildlife conflict, thereby placing local communities in imminent and unacceptable danger.

He specifically cited the tragic and preventable death of his child, a victim of a recent chimpanzee attack, as irrefutable evidence of the government’s neglect of duty in protecting both wildlife and human lives.

Ahaisibwe’s appeal underscores the urgent need for comprehensive policy reforms, including the immediate and rigorous enforcement of existing wildlife protection laws, the expansion of clearly defined and managed buffer zones between human settlements and chimpanzee territories.

The grieving parents have requested government seeking immediate assistance for the burial expenses and comprehensive compensation following the fatality of their minor child, caused by an attack from a wild chimpanzee.

The LC3 Chairperson of Muhorro Town Council, Godfrey Nangonza called upon wildlife conservation organization (Uganda Wild Life Authority) to investigate the incident and explore measures to prevent future occurrences, emphasizing the delicate balance between protecting wildlife and ensuring community safety.