Home arrow Network News arrow Network News arrow Uganda: Museveni Orders Kaloli Birds (Marabou Storks) Relocated
Uganda: Museveni Orders Kaloli Birds (Marabou Storks) Relocated
THE days of scavenger birds at State House Nakasero are numbered following an order by President Yoweri Museveni to relocate them.

The Marabou Storks, which are commonly known as Kaloli, feed on wastes. Prior to their movement to Kampala in the 1970s, they used to occupy swampy parts of Lake Kyoga and southern Sudan.

Last week, Museveni ordered a State House official to contact the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Kampala City Council (KCC) to remove the birds.

“An official from State House called last week, informing us that Museveni loves birds, but that the Kaloli were becoming a nuisance,’’ Venice Mirembe, UWA’s acting public relations manager, said on Friday 04th –01-2008. “We were ordered not to hurt them in the process of relocating them.”

Mirembe said State House had also instructed that the trees be left intact.

UWA and KCC worked frantically on Friday 04th –01-2008 to secure equipment from the Ministry of Works to relocate the birds to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe.

However, “Operation Save Kaloli” mounted by four people, was called off in the afternoon, as the crane could not reach the birds on top of the tall trees. The birds normally breed between October and March; so most of the nests had either chicks or eggs.

“We shall hopefully remove them on Tuesday 08th –01-2008 (today) because the works ministry has promised to provide a bigger and a taller crane,’’ Mirembe said.

She said the marabou storks, with their chicks and eggs, would be relocated to the wildlife education centre, where they will be looked after until they can fend for themselves.

Mirembe said the birds love quiet and peaceful areas to set up breeding grounds, suggesting that this could be the reason why they occupied State House.

The executive director of Nature Uganda, Achilles Byaruhanga, said: “The marabous have been attracted by the large amount of waste in Kampala. This, together with the strong native trees, has turned Kampala into a good habitat for the scavengers.”

Byaruhanga said the number of scavenger birds has been growing over the years to match with the increasing garbage in urban areas.
“The only solution to get rid of marabous is to clean up the city because even if the trees where they perch are cut down, they would relocate to the rooftops.”

About a decade ago, KCC cut down a number of trees to chase away the birds. However, the birds relocated to the roofs and garbage bins; remaining a persistent reminder to the city residents that KCC does not collect most of their garbage.

Kampala generates about 1,500 tonnes of garbage daily and only 40% is removed.

Byaruhanga said the birds breed from mostly native trees such as Mvule that are strong enough to hold three chicks that weigh about 25 kilogrammes. Mvule trees are only surviving on hills like Nakasero, Makerere, Namirembe and Rubaga.

Other scavengers that have increased in the city are pied crows, hooded vultures and kites.
“There were only 11 nests of marabous in 1969 around Nateete, but today the total population is about 20,000 birds,” Byaruhanga said.

Each Kaloli eats about 2kg daily, implying that 20,000 of them can clear up to 20 tonnes of waste every day.

 

http://www.newvision.co.ug/PA/8/12/605551
 
 

Sponsored Links