Two-month-old baby boy injured by chimpanzee in Uganda

© Francis Mugerwa.

Ms Rosemary Nyangoma nurses her son who was attacked by a chimpanzee last week. Doctors say his health has improved.

The family of a two-month-old baby boy, who was injured by a chimpanzee in Hoima District last week, is demanding compensation from government.

The victim's father, Mr Nyansio Byaruhanga, said his son sustained multiple injuries on his head and private parts. "Chimpanzees and other wild animals are supposed to be in parks and game reserves. But it strayed into our garden and injured my son. Government should compensate us," Mr Byaruhanga said. He expressed worry whether his son will be able to father children given the injury the baby sustained in the private parts.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority's (UWA) spokesperson, Mr Jossy Muhangi, described the incident as unfortunate, but said the authority would not compensate the family. "There is no provision in the law for us to compensate in such a case," Mr Muhanji said, adding that UWA does not compensate victims in communities neighbouring parks and game reserves.

"Out of charity, we at times give a helping hand to the victims," he said.

Mr Muhangi, however, said UWA would dispatch a team to track the animal and relocate it to Ngamba Island for protection. Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in October 1998 to care for orphaned chimpanzees that have been rescued by the wildlife authority.

According to the victim's mother, Ms Rosemary Nyangoma, the animal carried the baby while he was sleeping in the garden under a makeshift structure in Kikinga village, Bugambe Sub-county.

She was stunned when she went to check on the baby and did not find him where she had left him. "I began looking around searching for the baby not until I heard him crying in the forest adjacent to my garden," Ms Nyangoma told journalists at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital. She sounded an alarm which attracted other residents to join her in searching for the baby.

"We saw the chimpanzee carrying the baby. When we moved towards where it was, it threw the baby and ran away," Ms Nyangoma said. The hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Francis Mulwanyi, said the baby's health has improved.

Other cases

Cases of wild animals attacking children in Hoima District have been common. In December 2013, a six-year-old was attacked by a stray ape at her parents' home in Bubaale village, Bujumbura Division, Hoima Municipality. In July this year, Mujuni Semata, 2, was reportedly killed by chimpanzees in Muhoro Town Council in Kibaale District. Mr Semata said his son was kidnapped by chimpanzees and died hours after being abandoned deep in the forest.