Elephant that Caused Accident Slaughtered, Residents Fight Over Meat

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Our reporter

Drama ensued today morning after locals around Karuma along Kampala-Gulu highway opted to exchange blows over elephant's meat that they slaughtered after it caused an accident.

The accident took place at around 3am, where a bus reg number UAM 829C and belongs to KK travellers, knocked the elephant that was crossing the road, leaving 3 people dead on spot, including the driver, and several others injured. The bus was travelling from Arua to Kampala.

Surprisingly, as wonders never cease to happen, the residents opted to rush for pangas and knives to slaughter the 'accident causer', instead of rushing the injured to the near by hospitals. Desite the fact that an elephant's meat is not edible to most people, the residents went ahead to fight each other, on grounds that some wanted to take a lion's share.

They also argued that the deaths caused by the giant wild animal couldn't be compensated by Uganda Willdlife Authourity (UWA), a reason they slaughtered after it died one and a half kilometres from the accident scene.

"You see our relatives have died from here, this is the trouble causer," one resident, who carried a knife said, adding they were revenging and thanking God for free meat.

Julius Hakiza, the Midwestern police spokesperson said that overspeeding was the cause of the accident and added that the injured were rushed to Kiryandongo hospital. He cautioned drivers to stop over speeding, especially when driving through wildlife gazetted arears.

Jossy Muhangi, the publicist for UWA had earlier told Journalism@Mak that elephant meat is not eaten, but did not give the effect its consumed."UWA cannot give the wild meat to communities since it may tempt them into poaching if they find it tasty, " he said adding, " the carcass will be either buried or left to decompose in a forest," which the locals failed to observe.