6 lions found dead in Uganda’s famous park

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – Six lions were found dead in one of the country's most famous parks, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said.

This happened in Queen Elizabeth National Park, located about 300 kilometers (186 miles) west of the country's capital Kampala. The park attracts thousands of foreign tourists every year.

In a statement on Saturday evening, UWA Communications Manager Bashir Hangi said the lions were found dead at the park and that they were shocked by the fact that some of the body parts of the lions were missing.

"Eight dead vultures were also found at the scene, which points to the poisoning of the lions by unknown people. Given that some of the body parts of the lions are missing, we cannot rule out illegal wildlife trafficking," Hangi said.

He said that a UWA investigation team has already been sent to the scene.

"UWA strongly condemns the illegal killing of wildlife because it does not only impact negatively on our tourism as a country, but also revenue generation, which supports conservation and community work in our protected areas," he said.

Hangi said that apart from the government's revenue from tourism, local people, who live near the national park, also get 20% of the money collected from tourists.