Zakayo to Mark 46th Birthday: UgandaWildlifeEducationCenter (UWEC) Entebbe
The Oldest Alpha male Chimpanzee at the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) commonly known as Entebbe Zoo has recently cerebrated 46th Birth-Day
According to officials at the centre, a huge cake has been made for the ageing chimpanzee while its keepers are teaching it table manners for the occasion to be witnessed by UWEC staff, conservationists and students on Saturday.
Ms Belinda Atim, the UWEC spokesperson reported that the chimpanzee was trained to use a sharp stick to cut posho in preparation for its birthday. The Cerebration emphasized the importance of chimp conservation while focusing on Zakayo’s history and personality.
Many students were invited from different schools to sing for Zakayo as he cut his Cake to serve his family. Zakayo has been a protective and fatherly primate to young chimps, especially Onapa, Aluma and Shaka. He is ‘married’ to Amina and Ruth and likes spending hours resting, grooming or being groomed by one of his two wives.
A few members of the public got an opportunity to feed Zakayo with fruits while other schools sung chimp conservation songs and reciting poems. A quiz competition was also organised where winners walked away with various prizes.
In MurchisonFallsNational Park, there is probably no animal, except those that accompanied the Biblical Noah to the Ark that has caused as much debate as the three black Kob previously unknown in the park. Many questions have been raised on the origin of these three black kobs that are seen grazing with the brown Uganda Kob in the park. Curious visitors to MurchisonFallsNational Park and wildlife experts have had a great deal of their attention consumed by 3 black Kob that were first sighted in the park 4 years ago.
Up to now, Park authorities are wondering whether the black ones have existed in the park before and had not been discovered, or were born with a defective skin like albinos among human beings.
Expected Origin of Black Kob in MurchisonFallsNational Park?
According to the monitoring officer in Murchison Jennifer Atuhirwe, who first made a report about the mysterious black species, say the black Kob probably migrated from southern Sudan where similar species occur.
However, there is much doubt whether the black Kob walked all the way from southern Sudan because, it is only large mammals like elephants that are known to migrate long distances. Additionally, Atuhirwe stressed that, it is not easy for such small mammals to survive predators like lions and hunters who settled in parts of the corridor used by mammals migrating from Sudan to Uganda.
Atuhirwe also says probably mutation, where genes responsible for making a brown skin change to black, had a hand in this. Although most of the research in the park has focused on large mammals, it not possible that since colonial times, researchers had not encountered black kobs. Therefore, resolving this mystery lies in the hands of veterinarians and biologists working at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
This calls for study samples of blood from the brown kobs and black kobs to come to a logical and satisfying conclusion. In Atuheirwe’s conclusions, it is not easy at the moment to account for the origin of the black kobs in MurchisonFallsNational Park.
Atuheirwe’s report reveal that, despite the fact that the black kobs associate and feed with the brown ones, they have not been sighted mating.
According to Sam Mwandha, the acting Executive Director of UWA, other than the brown ones, some kobs are grey, tending towards white. This has prompted a suggestion that, they could be breeding with their close relatives since they are confined to the parks and no longer migrate to other areas.
Although Mwandha and his team seem to put a lot of emphasis on protecting species, it is a big weakness to ignore the genetic make up of the animals. Fewer genes mean inbreeding and in case of a disease outbreak, the entire animal population may be easily swept away.
In conclusion therefore, observations of the black kobs in Murchison falls National Park could be an early warning signal that should not be ignored by Mwandha and his team. They should investigate and help the wildlife authority to make informed decisions.
It was learned from usually reliable sources that the ministry of finance seems set to inflict a major budget cut of nearly 20% on the ministry of tourism, trade, and industry for the next financial year, 2010/11. Figures obtained indicated a cut from the current year’s almost 48 billion Uganda shillings, or about US$24 million, to just over 41 billion Uganda shillings for the next financial year.
The proposed cut comes at a time when tourism marketing could urgently do with a financial boost so as to promote the country and the numerous attractions in existing, new, and emerging markets, but hope towards that end is now fading, when the extent of planned budget cuts became apparent.
According to experts, the sector is underfunded and this is why, our neighboring countries are performing better than us here. For instance, in Rwanda and Kenya, the sector has developed so well over the years and after a severe crisis, because government allocated major funding increases to sell the country.
Alongside, government has so far also failed to implement the tourism policy goal, set in 2003, to introduce a financing mechanism for tourism marketing through a “tourism development fund levy” as stone-age mindsets within sections of the ministry’s civil service do their best to hinder the launch of the levy, as it would also entail a range of other measures, mainly moving several oversight and executive functions to the reformed Tourism Uganda, a notion civil servants are not at all happy with.
In stark contrast, Kenya, last year’s winner as best tourist board in Africa by the “Good Safari Guide,” this year came second only to South Africa, which had poured mega millions into promoting the FIFA World Cup and their tourism industry, while Rwanda, for instance, walked off for the past four consecutive years as “Best African Stand” at ITB in Berlin.
With development partners also confirming that tourism is NOT on the list of economic priority sectors, they are asked to assist under bi- and multi-lateral assistance programs, while there is clearly a lack of political will to help the tourism industry in Uganda develop as it should, as it could, and to reach its full potential in terms of new investments, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings.
Tourism is now 3rd on the list of the Uganda’s primary growth areas of the newly-released National Development Plan, coming after Agriculture and Forestry.
Tourism Uganda, the leading promotion agency, wants to build on the foundation laid out by the sh2b the agency received in the 2009/2010 budget. The Agency is now asking for sh22b in 2010/2011 budget allocation to effectively sell the country’s image abroad. This in turn will attract more foreign earnings.
The newly-appointed boss, Cuthbert Baguma, said the main agenda is to promote local and regional tourism that protects the sector from the uncertainties/natural disasters like the recent ash clouds that paralyzed air travel in Europe, and also to focus on key prime markets and explore sustainable financing options as well as quality standards in the services industry like hotel grading.
However, the national budget framework paper for 2010/11 indicates that, the total allocation for the Uganda Tourism Board under vote 117 of the paper is projected to remain constant in the 2010/2011 financial budget at sh2.05b. Tourism sector experts believe only lobbying Parliament and the higher executive can change this figure.
According to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), in 2008, tourism contributed 9.2% ($1.2b) to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while in Kenya, tourism contributed 10.8% ($3.5b) to GDP. Experts argue that, this variation might have been due to massive investment that Kenya puts into the sector. WTTC report further indicates that, Kenya dwarfs Uganda in tourist arrival figures. Tourism arrivals in Uganda increased by 65% from 512,000 in 2004 to 844,000 in 2008, while Kenya had 1, 816,800 arrivals in 2008.
After several years of under-funding (sh500m) and neglect to the sector, the Government extended sh2b in the 2009/2010 financial year. Baguma says this has improved Uganda’s appearance at source markets and trade fairs. Baguma therefore suggests that the current momentum should be maintained because the more funded agencies like in Kenya, Botswana, Rwanda, south Africa, Malawi and Egypt among others are all fighting for the same market.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has opposed IGG’s recommendations on gorilla permits in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Raphael Baku, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), in an April 28 report, wants the agreement between UWA and the Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation cancelled, and also wants the one between Nkuringo and the Uganda Safari Company revoked. The IGG further recommended that the investments, including a five-star lodge in Nkuringo, be taken over by Rubuguri sub-county where Nteko and Rubuguri parishes are located. It should be noted that the investments were a result of the two agreements.
During the press conference at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala last Friday, Mark Kamanzi, UWA’s chief counsel, said IGG’s recommendations were not enforceable since the gorillas in Nkuringo were partly living on private land.
Mark Kamanzi also added that the property, which the IGG had recommended to the Rubuguri sub-county authorities to take over, is private. “The report has many inaccuracies and it is not helping the sector,” he said.
After the habituation of gorillas in Nkuringo in 1997, UWA realized that the gorillas spent more time on a strip of private land than Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, according to a May 21 statement. The gorillas were conflicting with the agricultural-based communities since they feed on vegetation.
Consequently, UWA gave the communities, organized under Nkuringo Conservation Development Foundation, six permits to track gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. UWA agreed to this request after extensive consultations. With the help of international NGOs, the community secured funding for constructing the eco-lodge, the statement added.
Storm brews as IGG cancels all monopoly powers on gorilla tracking deal
According to UWA spokesperson Lillian Nsubuga, Ugandans and other East African citizens pay 250,000/= for each gorilla-tracking permit while foreigners pay $500 (1,000,000/=). There are 48 permits issued daily for guests to watch any of the six gorilla groups and they never sell out.
The Inspector General of Government (IGG) Mr. Baku Raphael has directed the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to cancel all the illegal and irregular contracts it made with the Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation (NCDF) and Uganda Safari Company in Kisoro district, that were monopolizing Gorilla Tracking in Nkuringo on the Southern periphery of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
The acting IGG Mr. Baku Raphael, in an April 28 report says UWA, by granting NCDF and The Uganda Safari Company (TUSC) exclusive rights to issue permits to tourists, deprives Kisoro District residents of opportunities and revenue.
The report further says, Uganda Wildlife Authority is using NCDF as a channel through which it conducts private business with another private company, The Uganda Safari Company, by selling most of the gorilla-tracking permits in Nkuringo through TUSC.
The NCDF, a company limited by shares, gets eight permits each day and purports to represent entire communities of Rubuguri and Nteko parishes neighboring Bwindi Impenetrable Forest yet it is owned by only 23 people, the IGG wrote.
Previously in 2007, Tourism stakeholders complained to the IGG of discrimination, irregularities and illegalities in selling out of gorilla tracking permits by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to a few companies, resulting into unfair monopoly in the tourism business.
Mr Baku says, NCDF’s agreement with TUSC monopoly powers on gorilla-tracking permit to the exclusion of ordinary people is “unfair and unrealistic.” He therefore said, the illegal and irregular contracts, namely the agreement between Uganda Wildlife Authority and Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation and its addendum and the agreement between NCDF and The Uganda Safari Company Ltd, should be revoked.
The IGG in the report further recommended that UWA should draw up a well- thought out framework for the development of tourism opportunities for the whole region where Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located not for particular isolated areas.
“The sub-counties of Nyabwishenya and Kirundo where Rubuguri and Nteko parishes respectively fall, should, in consultation with the district takeover the Nkuringo tourism project and improve development for the benefit of their communities after other modalities have been addressed.
“The sub-counties have the mandate and capacity to plan for their local communities, and can be held responsible for transparency, accountability and reporting because they have a planning and budgeting mandate for their parishes,” the report said.
However, TUSC owner and managing director, Mr Jonathan Wright, criticized the Ombudsman for being “naïve, reckless and biased” and accused the institution of denying them audience and choosing to listen to “jealous people.”
UN Peacekeepers and conservationists fly to rescue Congo low-land Gorillas
10/May/2010
UN peacekeepers used helicopters to fly the apes (Gorillas) from a battle zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the Kasugho sanctuary in North Kivu province. The gorillas had been rescued from traffickers in the country’s rebel-infested east and faced being eaten.
According to Benoit Kisuki- Country Director Charity Conservation International (CCI), the rescued animals are Eastern lowland gorillas. He further added that, this species can only survive in the DR Congo. The use of air transport was crucial to the mission because conservation experts insisted that, the use of vehicles would put a great risk of losing the animals because they are traumatized.
The rescue project is part of a larger mission that was set up to combat Africa’s illegal trade in baby gorillas, which has intensified in recent years with the proliferation of armed groups in the DR Congo. It was reported that Gorillas are often caught and sold for 000$ as exotic pets. Others are killed and sold locally as bush meat. Today only 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas are thought to survive in the wild. UN Report.
The report further notes that, the rescued gorillas have been given homes at a research centre where scientists can monitor their health before releasing them back into the wild.
It should also be noted that, Gorillas have become a major tourist attraction in Uganda; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Parks and Rwanda; Volcanoes National Park, also known as Parc National Des Volcans. However by contrast, Congo’s gorillas have suffered the effects of years of warfare and more than 150 rangers have been killed trying to protect the Country’s Wildlife reserves/National Parks from poachers.
A new UN-backed report also revealed that, gorillas may become near-extinct in Africa’s Greater Congo Basin by the mid-2020s unless action is taken to stop poaching and protect their habitat.
Katungi; an 18 Months Twin Gorilla from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has died. Katungi had been discovered sick by the Bwindi Forest Gorilla Trackers and had all along been put under a watchful eye and attention. ‘Friend a Gorilla’ website reports.
The Gorilla trackers in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest who made a thorough check through, discovered Katungi who has been one of the gorillas living among the Nkuringo group of gorillas lying about 50 metres away from its family motionless.
Doctors from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and a team of trackers attempted to revive the unconscious Katungi gorilla but in vain.
In the process of reviving the unconscious Katungi Twin Gorilla, he just responded by jerking once and breathed his last. The death coincided with the second anniversary of the death of Katungi’s grandfather, Nkuringo, who died in April 2008.
About Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and covers 331 square kilometers. Bwindi can be reached from Queen Elizabeth National Park in the north (3-4 hours), from Kabale to the south (2-3 hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (8-10 hours). The roads meet at Butogota, 17km from the Buhoma entrance gate. During the wet season March to May four wheel drive vehicle is recommended.
The landscape in Bwindi Forest is rugged, with deep valleys running between steep sided hills and ridges. There is both lowland and montane rainforest with dense undergrowth of herbs, vines and shrubs, making the Park look impenetrable. This area is regarded as one of the most biologically diverse forests with the richest faunal community in East Africa.
The forest is home to many rare species and encompasses one of the last remaining habitats of Mountain sliver-back-Gorillas. More than half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (approximately 360 of the remaining 770 or so individuals). The park has over 120 species of mammals, which include forest elephants, the giant forest Hog and 10 species of primates, including chimpanzees, colobus monkeys and baboons. Bwindi is also the only park in the world where chimpanzees and gorillas co-exist in the same environment.
Ice cap on Uganda’s Mountains of the Moon (Rwenzoris) splits: Global Warming blamed
The Rwenzori Mountains also known as “Mountains of the moon” are found a few kilo meters north of the Equator, rising over 4000meters above the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley, making it the highest mountain in Uganda, and the 3rd highest range in Africa. The region’s glaciers, waterfalls and lakes make it one of Africa’s most beautiful alpine areas.
The Rwenzori range has 6 major peaks, with Mt. Margherita being the highest (5109 m), followed by Mt Speke (4,890m), Mt Baker (4,843m), Mt Emin (4,798m), Mt Gessi (4,715m) and Mt Luigi di Savoia (4,627m).Mt.Margherita peak also called Mt Stanley complex is the highest peak and most popular with mountain climbers. To hike the great mountains you require a minimum of 7 days for a rewarding hike.
However, according to Dr Aryamanya Mugisha; NEMA Executive Director, the ice cap on Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon; one of the world’s most treasured mountains, is fast melting and could disappear within 4 Decades.
A recent report by the United National Environment Program proved that the glaciers on the mountain had declined by 50% between 1987 and 2003. The report further reveals that, a century ago the glaciers of the RwenzoriMountains covered nearly 6.5 sq. km. If the glaciers continue to recede, as they have since 1906, they will be gone in the next 20-40 years.
The melting of the ice on one of the peaks of Rwenzori has largely been a result of climatic changes like global warming. The melting of the glaciers has also increased water flow into River Semliki, the natural boundary between Uganda and the DR Congo. The increase of Semiliki water volumes has enhanced the erosive power of the River, causing shifting of the river towards the over degraded banks in Rwebisengo.
The large flow of melting ice into River Semiliki has also affected the mountain’s vegetation and biodiversity through erosion, silting and degradation of the vegetation. The fast melting rate of the ice will also change the weather patterns in the Rwenzori region which have been generally cooler than most parts of the country.
Therefore if nothing is done by 2050, the whole ice will be no more and the country will have lost a tourism treasure because it is unique to have ice on the equator. The other tourism treasures to be lost include the extraordinary flora and fauna such as Buffalo, bushbuck, chimpanzee, Elephant, giant forest hog, and leopards. The Rwenzori is also home to 241 bird species of which 19 are endemic to the mountain. Several birds are limited to just a few forests along the Albertine rift, notably the Rwenzori Turaco and Malachite Sunbird. All these tourism attractions make Mt.Rwenzori one of the beautiful tourism destinations in Africa. You can also taste this incredible wild experience when you book your Uganda Safari to the Rwenzoris with AFRICA ADVENTURE SAFARIS (www.gorillatrekafrica.com)
The only solution to save the Uganda’s Treasures in the Rwenzori ranges is to ensure that livestock don’t go into the river and that the eroded areas should be re-vegetated (reforestation) and trees are not cut,” Said Sam Mapesa; UWA Director.
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in the past few months has been habituating another mountain gorillas group (Bikingi) for tourism. This is a response to a public outcry where tourism stakeholders were disatsified with the arrangement under which UWA gave monopoly rights of Nkuringo gorillas to a private operator under the disguise of doing it for the local community. Bikingi Gorilla family is in the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. If successfully habituated, Bikingi will be the 8th group ready for tracking. Other groups include Nshongi that was officially opened for tracking in September 2009, Bitukura Group in Ruhija, Mubare, Nkuringo, Habinyanja, Rushegura and Kyaguriro which is currently subjected to research. The 8 habituated gorilla groups make about 25% of the total gorilla population in Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla Park. Gorilla tracking contributes 60% of tourism revenue to the coffers of the government of Uganda. “The overall gorilla population has been increasing at an approximate annual growth rate of 1% which implies a healthy population”, according to researchers. The total mountain gorilla population is estimated to be about 760 with about 340 in the jungles of Bwindi and the rest straddle through Mgahinga, Rwanda and DR Congo.