Colombian researcher killed by elephant in Uganda

An elephant in Kibale National Park, in western Uganda has trampled an Colombian researcher to death.

The 30-year-old US based researcher identified as Sebastian Ramirez Amaya, who was from Arizona State University, was attached to Ngogo Chimpanzee Research Centre in Kibale National Park in Kamwenge District.

The Rwenzori West Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Vincent Twesige, said the incident happened on Sunday at around 9am when the deceased and his colleagues went deep inside the National Park for research under the guidance of one Ngene, a Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) warden.

“While in the forest, the students took different directions, and while coming out, everyone else returned to the camp except Amaya. The team decided to head back to the forest to look for him, but unfortunately, they found when an elephant had already killed him,” he said.

Mr Twesige said the UWA warden (Ngene) reported the matter to Bigodi Police Station that evening.

Police led by Kamwenge District CID Officer, Mr Paddy Tumwebaze, visited the scene and retrieved the body, and took it to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem as investigations into the matter continue.

The UWA spokesperson, Mr Bashir Hanji, said that it’s a regrettable and unfortunate incident the Authority had not witnessed in the last 50 years in Kibale National Park.