By SAMPSON BONAI
A MAD gold rush is taking place at the Wau Ecology Institute’s conservation area.
And the area around the institute is under threat of being dug up by illegal miners if nothing is done to protect the conservation area.
Hundreds of illegal alluvial miners from Wau flocked to the institute’s estimated 5ha of conservation area last month and began digging for gold when news broke out that a huge gold deposit had been found inside the wild life protected area.
The miners turned the pristine area upside down.
Developed areas including coffee plantations are also being targeted with the illegal miners uprooting trees. Other protected species of trees are also being felled as the miners continue to dig towards the residential areas at the institute.
They have destroyed the habitats of many insects that are the pride of the conservation area.
Wau Ecology Institute’s director Trevor Neale said yesterday that he was extremely disgusted with the actions of the illegal miners and said he would contact police in Bulolo to deal with the situation.
“I have requested for security guards to be deployed there to protect the property of the institute and to deter illegal miners from carrying out illegal mining activities in the area but they were overpowered by the miners.
“I’m now resorting to police to be deployed to Wau Ecology Institute to enforce the rule of law and to apprehend any person digging for gold there,” Mr Neale said.
Institute station manager Wagi Kukubol and insect farm manager Michael Hudson could not be reached yesterday for comment.
The famous Eddie Creek, which yielded unprecedented gold nuggets that gave Wau international acclaim in 1929, runs through the institute.