Bwindi Gorillas at risk of catching Tuberculosis (TB)

Bwindi mountain gorillas are feared to contract TB if the surrounding community is not treated of TB. Alex Ngabirano, a health educator, revealed that 16 people in Mukono and Bujengwe parishes are suspected to be suffering from this deadly disease yet the gorillas have been frequenting their homes. Speaking at a meeting organized by Conservation Through Public Health (non-governmental organization aiming at improving health standards in the community) on Tuesday, Mr. Ngabirano said between January and October, gorillas paid a visit to 18 homes and spent with them 2 to 3 days before returning to their sanctuary. Some of the members of these families had TB patients who had been identified by community health workers. He explained that TB drugs were still lacking in the area and the only place where they can get treatment is Kayonza Health Centre III which is quite distant from this area and people from this area can not afford meeting transport costs to this centre. He appealed to the government to come to the rescue of these people.

In the same meeting the District Health Inspector for Kanungu, Mr. Taremwa, warned that a bigger problem was likely to face the gorillas since many other diseases were likely to infect them owing to the poor sanitation in the area. He revealed that a team of 48 health workers had carried out a survey in 22,264 families in Mukono and Bujengwe in September and results were dismal. “Almost half the families did not have latrines. They used the bush and when it rained all faeces ended up in streams where people and animals get water for consumption,” he said.

The chairman LCI for Buhoma, Mr. Benard Tugabirwe, explained that the area was rocky and therefore difficult to dig a pit latrine. Most latrines are 3 to 4 ft because of the rock.  

Gorillas in Kampala

Monday, 31st August, 2009     

By Mary Mugisha

Kampala residents have been excited by dummy gorillas walking on the city streets today.

“About 50 “mountain gorillas” have descended on the streets of Kampala today according to Uganda Wildlife Authority public relations manager Lillian Nsubuga. This is among the activities to commemorate the UN international year of the gorillas. This is done to advocate for the plight of Gorillas which are an endangered species and if nothing is done to protect their habitat, they will become extinct.

Over 340 gorillas are resident in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is more than half of the total number of mountain gorillas in the world, estimated at 720. The rest are found in Mgahinga (Uganda), DR Congo and Rwanda.

Tourism revenue is the second foreign exchange earner to Uganda contributing between 4% and 5% to Gross Domestic Product.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Tourism Board and Ministry of Tourism are busy organizing a grand launch of the biggest ever habituated gorilla family, which will take place on September 24 in Kisoro District. Subsequently  national celebrations on September 26 and a fundraising gala for gorillas will be held.

PROTECT MOUNTAIN GORILLAS – THE BEES PROJECT

As reported by Begumisa Wilberforce

In an effort to protect the mountain gorillas in Mgahinga and Bwindi national parks, a bee-keeping project has been initiated by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP). The major objective of coming up with a project of this nature, is to benefit all the communities in the vicinity of these two national parks in Uganda. This strategy aims at curbing down poaching.

Mr. David Mwine, the IGCP regional enterprise Officer, explained, “Empowering such communities around the national parks by providing alternative source of income will keep the national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga intact because there will be less pressure from the people around them”.

He went on to say, “Supporting bee-keeping projects around these national parks is so significant because once we give an opportunity to such people to construct their bee-hives close to the parks, they always protect the forest in case of fire outbreak just because they have invested in there. The major threat to the mountain gorilla emanates from the intense desire for land and food for the growing human population around the gorilla habitat in area.”

Thus all the partners in this arrangement aim at reducing specific threats to the mountain gorillas, for instance, deforestation, poaching and disease. The IGCP has come up with a strategy to involve the local community in developing their livelihood and supporting policy and conservation legislation. The IGCP has, so far, contributed in the construction of a community lodge at Nkuringo in Kisoro District. This is estimated to earn the local community $5000 rent per year. It has also donated honey processing equipment and a motorcycle to over 400 members of Bwindi Bee Keepers Association.

Mr. Rutagarama Eugene, the Director of IGCP, argued that the mission of his organization, is to empower people in Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda to sustain a network of trans-boundary protected areas so as to significantly contribute to sustainable development and protection of the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats in Mgahinga and Bwindi in Uganda, Virunga in DRC and Volcano in Rwanda.

According to Mr. Rutagarama, mountain gorilla population has risen by 17% over a decade making approximately a global total of 720. He further explained that IGCP had already linked of handcrafts and honey extracted from the gorilla habitats in the Great Lakes region to international markets in the US where there are reasonable prices.

Mr. Barekye, the LC3 Chairman Ikumba sub-county, revealed that his council through NAADS programme had already offered over 100 bee hives to Bwindi bee keepers. He also said that they had given tea growing along the park boundaries, a priority so as to stop wild animals from destroying their crops. A community campsite at Rwamanyonyi - the highest peak near Bwindi national park where tourists can get a clear view of the park, has been constructed. In addition, 2000 people have been trained in economic skills and enterprise development under the Functional Adult Literacy programme so that they can withstand the national park challenges. Mountain gorilla trekking has greatly enhanced the development of Bwindi area and the district in general.You can visit the following tour operators for the memorable gorilla safaris , Africa Adventure Safaris,  Abacus Uganda safaris,  Gorilla Tours and  Uganda Tours.

Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) has divulged its commune development projects anticipated at Rwf146million (US$270,370) near Nyungwe National Park.

Located in south-western Rwanda , Nyungwe Forest is a high-altitude, mountainous rainforest established as a forest reserve in 1933. The conservation area comprises of approximately 378 square miles (970 square kilometers). The forest is located in the Albertine Rift, a series of mountain ranges beginning at the Rwenzori mountains in western Uganda and Congo, continuing south into the Lendu Plateau in eastern Congo. Contiguous with Kibira National Park in Burundi, Nyungwe is one of the largest mountainous rainforests remaining in Africa. Just recently the Nyungwe forest received National Park status, making it East Africa’s largest protected high-altitude rainforest.

Nyungwe’s biodiversity is stunning by African standards and is one of the most endemic species-rich areas in all of Africa. Along with its biodiversity, Nyungwe is an important water catchment for Rwanda and contains many natural resources integral to Rwanda’s human populations. Rwanda being  one of the most heavily populated areas of Africa with over 8 million inhabitants in a country the size of the state of Vermont in the United States,the 15 unveiled community projects were realized by ORTPN under the revenue sharing policy whereby five per cent of the total revenues from tourism are allocated to community development projects surrounding the national parks.

The revenue sharing policy is in line with Rwanda’s strategy of promoting tourism for the benefit of all the Rwandan people. Tourism is a tool for poverty eradication and a strategy to sensitize people to conserve wildlife and their habitat,” executive director of

The projects were also unveiled prior to the grand’launch of Nyungwe National Park scheduled December this year.

The tourism sector intends to increase the commitment to working with the communities and fund more community projects worth Rwf308million (US$570,370) by the end of the year.

Nyungwe National Park which was first launched in 2005 has recorded 9,455 visitors generating US$387,671 since.

The former forest, currently boasts of 13 types of rare primates and the largest recorded troop of black and white Columbus monkeys.

Home to 100 types of orchid, 120 species of butterflies and reptiles and 283 species of birds, Nyungwe is a hot spot for bird lovers.

By S~tember, Rwanda registered 778,344 visitor arrivals generating US$138million while by the end of this year; visitor arrivals are estimated to reach 884,220 with tourism revenues

By Tanah Hadijah

Gorilla  Safaris News

Many Christians visit the Martyrs’ Shrine because they believe that the place is a sort of “God’s miraculous healing referral hospital” where all kinds of diseases can be healed.

This is why many believers and traditional healers carry “holy” water from Namugongo Martyrs’ Lake and tree barks to their homes to get blessings and heal diseases.

However, one of the things that attract people on this day is the Ndazabazadde tree, which intertwined with the original tree on which martyrs were tied and tortured to renounce their faith.
Ndazabazadde is a Luganda word literally meaning “wombs that give birth”.

The tree, standing fifty metres away from the main road and near to what is said to be the compound of Mukajanga, the martyrs chief executioner, has in the past years been visited by pilgrims from all walks of life.

However, the rate at which the tree is being ripped of its bark is worrying church authorities, tourists and environmentalists.
They fear that it (new Ndazabazadde) will soon disappear just as the original tree.

The danger is that the tree is being raided and almost phasing out before the authorities plant a similar species to hold the stump that remains peeping. The old tree has been in existence for over 120 years.

“Ndazabazadde faces a lot of environmental degradation whenever we celebrate the Martyrs day on June 3,” Rev. Francis Kajura says.
“We have to employ personnel to keep guard of this place otherwise the tree could be no more as traditional healers disguising as pilgrims come and peel off the bark,” Rev Kajura says.

He says that the surrounding communities and pilgrims struggle to get the bark from the tree assuming it cures a number of illnesses.
According to people who claim to have used the bark to heal sickness, there is no single disease on earth that it cannot cure. Mr Sunday Kakooza says the tree cures demonic related attacks, all types of cancer and brings fortune once water from its bark is drunk or bathed with.

Christians who visited Namugongo Anglican Mukajjanga Shrine on June 3 cutting off the stem cover from the Ndazabazadde tree.

“A piece of the bark attracts good pay from traditional healers and a person in possession of it receives maiden local treatment,” Mr Kakooza says.

Though Rev. Kajura spent most of his time sensitising and denying pilgrims a chance to peel the tree bark during this year’s celebrations, all his efforts were falling on deaf ears.

“It’s your faith that can eliminate disease from your body not this tree bark that you are struggling for,” Rev Kajuura kept on telling the pilgrims.

George William Kyeyune, a student at Namugongo seminary attributes the raid on the species as ignorance for a host of reasons.
“Our people are still primitive to assume that healing power has been passed on to the new tree which has twinned the original stump of Ndazabazade,” he said.

Several attempts have been made by church officials to replant the tree seeds but they do not germinate. Although the Anglican Church raises income from the species, the tree does not have a potential environment security.

Damage caused on the tree stem in the recent past has left it with no healed scars and it may take almost two years for the species to be regained.

Rev. Kajura says the only thing that can save the tree is to fight primitive ideologies engulfing surrounding communities. He suggested that caging Ndazabazadde in the future could prevent people from accessing it.

East African Community (EAC) ministers in charge of immigration are yet to meet to consider a proposal for a common tourist visa-a proposal, which if adopted, would bring to the fore benefits of marketing East Africa as a single travel package.

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda’s state-run tourism agencies already market East Africa at international fairs as a single destination but failure by immigration bosses to make progress on the adoption of the proposal, has failed an unprecedented move that would boost revenues and tourist numbers.
A Uganda immigration official told an East African consultative meeting on facilitation of air transport last week in Uganda’s eastern town of Jinja.  No progress has been made in Tanzania as the immigration bosses there are yet to meet to even consider the proposal.

The proposal was mooted by the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) more than three years ago.
In Kenya,  the situation is the same as is the case in Tanzania, but there are plans to introduce visa stickers.

The EAC Council of Ministers, which is the designated decision-making authority on all matters that touch on the sovereignty, revenue, policy and immigration matters, is the organ that will ultimately adopt the joint visas for tourists.

A single tourist visa would allow tourists to travel through a series of endless borders to sample the unique attractions that East Africa has to offer.For Example toursit going for Uganda Tours, Kenya tour,  Tanzania Safaris and rwanda Tours would find it cheap and easy to buy our tour products.

The EAC Secretariat has listed the single tourist visa among its foremost future plans and had initially hoped that it would have been agreed upon by the five states, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania by November 2006.

Tourists continue to demand to sample the entire array of tourist attractions spread across the region, from Mombasa’s breathtaking beaches, Tanzania’s Ngorogoro Crater, the chimpanzee parks in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda’s mountain gorillas and other wildlife safaris. While the technocrats are still considering the proposal, their reluctance to agree on a joint visa for tourists, has, however not crippled the joint promotional activity.

The strategy has been applied during international tourism exhibitions where tents of all the five member states have been placed close to each other. According to the plan, a tourist would apply for a visa in any one of the five states and would travel uninterupted to all the countries.

Tourist boards from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are the joint inventors of the plan, a crosscutting measure, which aims to standardise all tourism facilities in the region, including hotels and other tourism facilities.

Tanzania’s Tourist Board (TTB) favours a system where member countries market their tourist attractions independently with a joint banner bearing common features designed by the EAC Secretariat on the background of the booths. These initiatives are aimed at ensuring decisions made by the Council of Ministers on promotion and cooperation in tourism are implemented. Tanzania is Kenya’s most serious competitor as a destination for foreign tourists after the US followed by the UK and South Africa.

Uganda also ranks among the top 10 destinations in the world with a 6.2% preference level compared with the 21.7% who prefer to travel to  Tanzania is closer at 17.5%. These rankings are a powerful indicator that the East Africa region has potential to become one of the world’s biggest global  attractions as a single package rather than a disjointed bloc.Uganda Gorilla safaris are a key attraction for vistors to Uganda, while masai mara Safari are a key attarction for kenya safaris, while kilimanjaro tour is a key attraction for Tanzania

Kiiza Calah

 It has been realised that Female chimpanzees are hungry for sex with as many males as possible, and keep their mouths shut about it to boost their chances of luring the top chimps, a British university said yesterday.

Scientists at the University of St. Andrews studied the copulation calls — sounds they sometimes make during mating — of female chimpanzees in Uganda

like those at Ngamba Island, Kibale forest national park, Kaniyo Pabidi and Queen Elizabeth  to find out more about what they mean.

The Scottish institution’s team concluded that female chimps sometimes keep quiet during sex so their female rivals do not find out what they have been up to.

Evolutionary psychologists Simon Townsend and Klaus Zuberbuhler studied chimp behaviour in Uganda’s Budongo Forest over 16 months.

The team established that female chimpanzees hid their sexual activity when high-ranking females were nearby, perhaps in a bid to reduce competition for good quality males. This could prevent higher-ranking female chimpanzees from turning on them.

They also found the females produced more copulation calls when high-ranking males were around to attract them to have sex. The scientists believe that having sex with several males causes confusion among the male chimpanzees as to which one sired the offspring. The males are therefore less likely to kill any babies that might be theirs.

The study found no evidence that males were competing to have sex with females after they produced copulation calls, and no link between a female’s fertility and her use of the calls.

“Chimpanzee females adjusted their calling behaviour in flexible ways, potentially to avoid aggression from other females and possibly to secure future benefits from the socially important males,” the study said.

“Competition between females can be dangerously high in wild chimpanzees. These females use their copulation calls in highly tactical ways to minimise the risks associated with such competition.”

Kiiza Calah (safari news reporter)

katara lodge i s located just out side eastern side of the Queen Elizabeth national park, set on the edge of the hills overlooking the open savanna. Katara lodge accommodates 10 guests in 5 spacious thatched cottages with rich wooden floors and classic interiors. Each cottage commands breathtaking views of the park from the room, en-suit bathroom window and private balcony.

Each cottage has a queen sized starbed, which during thedry seaskon can be rolled out onto the private veranda sko tha guests can sleep directly under the starlit African Sky.

The main bar and dining area is a large thatched structure, completely open to the western side so that guests can enjoy the view of plains of Queen Elizabeth national park , with Rwenzori mountains providing a stunning backdrop on a clear day.

Activities for guest at in Queen Elizabeth National park include game drives through the park, launch trip on kazinga channel, chimp trekking in Kyambura Gorge, Maramagambo forest walk.

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.