Safari Gorilla News - Uganda Safaris & Tours Info Updates

By Begumisa Wilber

Kigali, Rwanda.

Byishimo (happiness) and Impano (gift), the world’s only surviving twin mountain gorillas in Rwanda made 4 years whereas 20 baby gorillas are yet to be named on June 21.

These twin gorillas in Rwanda were born on May 20, 2004 to a beautiful mother Nyabyitondere of the Susa Family of gorillas in the Volcanoes national park of Rwanda. The Director General of Rwanda Tourism Board, Ms Rosette Rugamba, could not imagine seeing these twin brothers live up to the present day. She said, “not only is the birth of gorilla twins very rare, but even when it happens; their survival is extremely unusual.”

Thanks to the gorilla mother, Nyabyitondere for the care she has offered to the twin gorillas despite the cold environment of the Volcanoes national park. The president of Rwanda, Mr Paul Kagame and his wife, Mrs. Jeanette Kagame, baptized the young blessing to the world and Rwanda, Byishimo (happiness) and Impano (Gift) in a public gorilla naming ceremony in 2005.

The twin gorillas’ survival is a symbolic testimony of prosperity of mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Rwanda’s international advocacy for gorillas’ conservation was launched in 2005. In May 2005, 30 Rwanda gorillas were named; the following year 12 new ones were given names and in 2007 only 23 were offered names.

In April 2007, the event reffered to as Kwita Izina - the brand name for the event was launched. With the theme, “Working Together for our Wildlife,” this year’s event will be attended by over 100 key personalities in wildlife conservation and business sectors. Rwanda is home to about a 1/3 of the 750 mountain gorillas that still survive in the world. Last year tourism was the second highest ranked foreign currency earner for Rwanda.

Rwanda has over years excelled in gorilla tracking safaris. A gorilla safari to Rwanda is one any visitor to Rwanda would can afford to miss. Besides, gorilla tracking safaris, Rwanda’s Nyungwe forest offers excellent primate safaris, especially chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda. 

As reported by Wilber Begumisa

The frenzy to industrialize remote areas is fast spreading. Many areas in Uganda are falling victim to this trend. The Uganda’s Maramagambo Rain Forest, which extends to Queen Elizabeth national park, and a habitat to several bird species and plants of immense medicinal value to human beings, has not survived this frenzy. Just miles away from Maramagambo, the French global industrial conglomerate Larfage’s local cement company Hima is likely to extend to its immediate neighborhood of the globally recognized Ramsar wetland site in search for limestone.

The Mpanga Gorge that extends from Kibale Forest national park into the Queen Elizabeth national park towards lake George has been subjected to a hydro-electric power plant development despite the national park boundary being cearly above the waterfalls, which puts the development in the vicinity of the protected area, something that is unpleasant to conservationists.

Surprisingly, the Mpanga River Gorge is a natural habitat to rare species of cycad trees which is the largest concentration in the world. A US-based company is preparing to clear off the whole forest, which a famous environmental journalist has termed as “a crime against our environment”.

Meanwhile Uganda Wildlife Authority has convened a meeting for business, academic and scientific opinion leaders in early June under the title, “Leadership for Conservation in Africa”. This meeting is to deliberate upon planned UWA investments in and around protected areas to make nature and wildlife based tourism a bigger economic force in Uganda.

By Begumisa Wilberforce

The wildlife Conservation Authoritative body, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in Uganda, is looking for six investors who are ready to undertake development projects in Uganda Safari parks.

Basing on its procurement notice on its website, there is need for bidders to re-develop and manage the first three projects, i.e, Gwara Sport Fishing Concession on Victoria Nile in Karuma, Wildlife Reserve Ntoroko Tented Camp and Campsite in Toro, Semliki Wildlife Reserve, and the buffalo tented camp within Lake Mburo National Park.

More three bidders are also required for collaborative management of Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, Matheniko-Bokora Wildlife Reserve, and
Ajai Wildlife Reserve. After selection, successful investors will sign concession agreements.

Inspection of the bid documents can be done at the UWA Procurement and Disposal Unit on Plot 7 Kira Road, Kamwokya at the cost of 50,000 Ug. Shillings, for the documents.Delivery of the bids deadline is June 4 at 11:00am. Opening of the bids is at 11:10 am in the presence of bidders or their representatives.

Recently UWA has been looking for potential investors who can promote gorilla tourism. It should be noted that mountain gorilla tourism has become the hottest tour product that East Africa can offer. Gorilla safaris to Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks has more than doubled in past five years. This trend has greatly enhanced Uganda gorilla safari packages of recent.