Soroti Leopard Reports: Traps Catch Only Dogs, Team Withdrawn

[Eronda]

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has dismissed reports of a leopard invasion in the Teso sub-region, saying its investigations have found evidence pointing to dogs, particularly strays, rather than leopards.

UWA officials made the remarks while speaking to residents of Kichinjaji Ward in Soroti City East Division, where they had responded to reports of suspected leopard footprints.

Read Also: Leopards Spotted Near Soroti University

Dr Joshua Lubega, a UWA veterinary officer, said the authority had gathered evidence indicating that dogs were responsible for the reported attacks on livestock.

“I can say, substantially, there is no leopard in Soroti because we have gathered enough evidence that points to dogs, especially stray dogs. We captured some in our traps and have seen some of them physically at the scene,” Dr Lubega said on Thursday.

He said the authority had spent nearly a week investigating reports of suspected leopard attacks on sheep, pigs, goats and poultry in different parts of the sub-region.

“We have spent here almost a week in Teso, moving to various places where they have reported suspected leopard attacks on sheep, pigs, goats and their birds. We have been to four sub-counties in Soroti and stretched from Soroti City to Amuria, and the footprints are crystal clear that they are of dogs in all these places we have visited,” he said.

On reports of leopard sightings at Soroti University, UWA Communications Officer Suleiman Musau said some pictures circulating on social media were artificially generated using artificial intelligence (AI).

He added that the university's camera system had not captured any leopard and that the authority was still trying to trace a student who allegedly photographed one within the university compound for further examination.

“For the last one week when we came, we were very hungry to see the leopard and we could not sleep. We applied all the tricks to capture the leopard, but all the cases we responded to were null. Even when we set our traps, we could capture dogs, and when we flew our drones to suspected areas, we could not find anything like a leopard,” Mr Musau said.

He urged residents of Teso to remain calm and vigilant, advising them to keep their distance if they encounter wild animals to avoid confrontations that could result in injuries or loss of life.
Daily Monitor