Long time ago, people used to hunt wild animals like Antelopes, Zebras, and Hippopotamus to feed their families on sustainable basis. They had specific hunting seasons that put into consideration the animals breeding seasons.This ensured that the numbers of game /animals were not affected.
However, this is not the case today in Karuma Wildlife Conservation Area part of Murchison Falls National Park in Oyam and Nwoya Districts. There, the following have been observed during the study;
- That illegal methods of hunting such as guns, wire snares, man traps, land mines and pitfalls are used.
- That species highly sought after for bushmeat are Buffalos, Hippopotamus, Kobs, Bushbucks, Warthogs and other endangered species.
- That women are involved in bushmeat trade, while poaching is reserved for men.
- That the major bush meat markets are Gulu and Kampala.
- That People hunt throughout the year, without regard for breeding seasons.
- That hunting is now carried out for commercial as opposed to domestic purposes.
Bushmeat has become a crisis because the rate at which it is done does not allow for animal population growth, and as the human population increases, demand for bushmeat also increases, thus depleting their numbers.
By hunting and killing animals, we lose their contribution to seed dispersal and forest regeneration.