By Alagie Manneh
Residents near the Bakau wetlands and Waasulung Kunda are becoming increasingly worried about packs of wild dogs that have been hunting and killing their livestock.
Some residents also said they have become restive since the come near their homes and threaten the safety of their children and feed on their animals.
Livestock owner Dodou Bojang said many, including himself have had their animals eaten by the wild dogs.
“We had to fight them off just few days ago,” Bojang told The Standard.
“The other sheep that got attacked by at least four dogs had two lambs and unfortunately, they attacked and ate one of them. They ate the inside of the sheep,” Bojang explained.
He said there were also reports that last week, a pack of wild dogs attacked a goat around Cape Point.
Last Friday, the Bakau Central Mosque announced the killings, urging livestock owners in town to be more vigilant.
The imam of Waasulung Kunda Mosque, Ebrima Sidibeh, also expressed the gravity of the situation.
“If this area becomes quitter, these dogs could even attack loners,” he warned, demonstrating the seriousness of the matter.
“The alkalo was called and was asked to report the issue to police. One old woman’s goat was also eaten by the dogs,” he said.
The local mosque imam said the emergence of wild dogs is nothing new in the area, recalling that in the late 1970s, and just before the 81′ coup, members of the army embarked on a dead-shooting of the animals.
“During those days, health officials would come after these street dogs and put them in a cage and take them away. Soldiers used to open fire on them, I remember. This is not some story in the newspaper; this was real,” the imam said.
He called on authorities to act now before it’s too late.
According to the Wildlife Organisation, the wild dog is one of the world’s most endangered mammals. Wild dogs are social and gather in packs of around ten individuals, but some packs number more than 40. They are opportunistic predators that hunt medium-sized ruminants, such as gazelles, according to the organisation.
