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Eleven lions have been found dead in Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda and conservation officials believe the animals were poisoned.
The three lionesses and eight cubs were found dead near Hamukungu fishing village in the popular tourist destination.
“An investigation has been opened but we suspect poisoning,” said Bashir Hangi, a communications officer with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. “It is still only a suspicion. We will try to establish the real cause of death.”
There have been a number of poisoning incidents on lions in Uganda in the past. In May 2010, five were killed in the park. Between May 2006 and July 2007, 15 lions died in the area in attacks blamed on landless herdsmen defending their cattle.