A toxic weed reported in the Uganda
about a year ago, has infected Queen Elizabeth National Park
in western Uganda,
causing danger to thousands of animals and plants. The Queen Elizabeth
conservation area manager Mr. TOM OKello said that visitors could have brought
the weed into Uganda.
He added
that the weed is believed to be a native of Mexico
and could have been brought into Uganda about four years ago by some
unknown people. The plant is thought to have been introduced into Uganda through Ethiopia
and Kenya.
Mr. Okello said the weed had been sighted in several parts of the park,
including areas around Mweya Safari Lodge. The weed is poisonous to
livestock if consumed in large quantities.
He promised
that plans to start uprooting and burning the weed will be finalized by the end
of this week. Despite looking beautiful and smelling sweet, the weed is said to
be among the world’s 10 most dangerous weeds.
On contact
with the human body, it causes a burning effect that makes the skin peel off.
Inhaling pollen from the flowers causes an asthma-like illness or persistent
flu-like symptoms in humans. Cattle that eat the weed produce foul-smelling
milk and may even die. In September, a team led by Dr. Gadi Gumisiriza of the
National Agricultural Research Organization said the weed had been detected in
12 districts.
The Kasese
district crop protection officer, Charles Nyamutale, said the killer weed is
usually spread by humans, birds and animals. Each plant is capable of producing
between 25,000 and 100,000 seeds each season, which can persist in the soil for
a long time. Nyamutale said the situation has been worsened because large areas
of the park and neighboring cattle grazing areas are also choking with another
shrub called lantana camara. Nyamutale said lantana camara. Forms thickets that
harbor tsetse flies, which cause nagana in animals and sleeping sickness in
humans. Queen Elizabeth National Park is
the second largest park in Uganda and brings in about sh2b of the sh17b revenue
generated from the country’s national parks plans to redeem it from this
deadly weed are going on.
Compiled by Eunice Musiime Dianah
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