Moths Invade Uganda’s Capital City

Moths invade Uganda’s capital city

KAMPALA, Feb.16 (Xinhua) — Homes, shops, and offices in Kampala city and its suburbs have been swarmed by an influx of moths in the last few days in a rare appearance in the city.

The influx of moths in the city could be a sign of deteriorating wildlife habitats, Daily Monitor quoted environmentalists as saying on Friday.

“Moths are very sensitive. They normally live in wetlands and pockets of the forests. But when you look at Kampala today, most of their habitats are being converted. So the moths are losing their habitats,” said Francis Ogwal, a specialist of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

Biodiversity specialists said that the unusual influx in and around the city could be an indicator that something has gone wrong with the environment.

Any change in the environment can make different species of fauna look for safer refuge. Ogwal said it was because of the destruction of habitats that even crested cranes and marabou stocks were fleeing their usual habitats, especially wetlands.

A NEMA report last year indicated that wetlands occupied about 29,000 square kilometers or 13 percent of the total area of Uganda.

However, wetland resources in most parts of the country have been heavily encroached upon by human activities mainly for crop cultivation, farming and urban development.

But an entomologist at the Department of Zoology at Makerere University, Anne Akol said that the invading moths could have been hatching nearby.

“If that is the case, then they will eventually go away,” she said.

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