In Summary: Students and staff at Soroti University have been urged to remain indoors after CCTV footage reportedly captured three leopards near the administration block, prompting the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to deploy a response team. The animals are suspected of having killed a man in Gweri Sub-county earlier this week.
Soroti City, Uganda — Fear has gripped Soroti University after three leopards were sighted on campus, forcing students and staff to retreat to their hostels and other buildings as the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) moved to track down the animals.
CCTV footage reportedly captured the three leopards near the university’s administration block, prompting security officers to alert university management and issue warnings urging students and night-shift staff to remain indoors until wildlife officers could respond.
A security guard who identified himself as James said several people immediately sought shelter after the animals were spotted. He said senior security officers sent distress messages to university officials and circulated alerts on WhatsApp platforms, advising students and staff not to move around the campus.
The sighting has heightened concern because the same animals are suspected to have been roaming parts of Soroti District for about three months. They are also linked to the killing of a man in Gweri Sub-county earlier this week.
Harriet Aguti, a Soroti University student, said she would only return to campus once there was confirmation that the animals had been captured.
Aguti said she received distress calls from colleagues living around the university during the night, warning that the leopards reportedly linked to the fatal attack in Gweri had been sighted on the campus. “Until they are captured, I will not show up at the university,” she said.
Juma Hassan Nyene, the Soroti University Public Relations Officer, told DailyExpress that UWA responded promptly after being alerted by the university management. “They are currently on the ground, and they are doing whatever is possible within their line of profession to track down the leopards,” Nyene said.
Stephen Omoding, the Assistant Resident City Commissioner for Soroti City, said the animals had been roaming parts of the region for close to three months despite previous efforts by UWA teams to track them down.
Omoding said the sightings had created anxiety among students and residents across Soroti, adding that authorities were concerned about the danger posed by the animals. He added that it was believed the leopards had strayed from Kidepo Valley National Park alongside buffaloes that have reportedly been moving through communities in search of water.
The buffaloes have also been reported in parts of Katakwi, Kapelebyong, Abim and Agago districts.
Omoding said security officials had asked UWA to intensify efforts to locate and capture the leopards, particularly following the reported fatal attack in Gweri.
In a statement posted on X on Friday afternoon, UWA acknowledged the reports and confirmed that its team had been deployed to the area. “We have received reports of leopard sightings near Soroti University in Soroti City. Our team is already on the ground assessing the situation and taking appropriate action,” UWA stated.
The authority urged members of the public to remain calm and avoid approaching or attacking the animals.
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