The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has withdrawn its response team deployed to search for three leopards reportedly spotted near Soroti University after several days of investigations failed to establish whether the wild animals were in the area.
The authority said its team had engaged residents and set traps during the operation but only captured domestic dogs, which were safely released.
“Following reports of leopards near Soroti University, our team spent days investigating and engaging residents. We set traps but captured only domestic dogs, which we safely released. We have therefore withdrawn our team. Thank you,” UWA said.
The search followed an alert issued by Soroti University last week after three leopards were reportedly spotted near its campus. The university said the animals were first seen on Wednesday evening before its closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras captured them the following evening.
“Our security cameras last evening captured three leopards in the vicinity of Soroti University. We urge the public to stay calm but alert and report to the authorities whenever wild animals are sighted,” the university said in a statement.
The reports prompted UWA to deploy a response team to establish the animals’ whereabouts and assess any potential danger to students, university staff and residents in neighbouring communities.
During the search, the authority urged the public to remain calm, keep a safe distance from suspected wild animals and avoid confronting or harming them. However, with no leopards found after several days of searching, UWA has now called off the operation.
