Uganda Wildlife Authority builds dams for wild animals

Philermon Tumwebaze, the assistant warden in charge of ecological monitoring and research at Tooro Semliki Game Reserve shows one of the newly constructed dams. PHOTOS BY FELIX BASIIME 

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1 2020
https://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Travel/UWA-builds-dams-for-wild-animals/691238-5440442-v77x1lz/index.html

In Summary

• CONSERVING WILDLIFE. In search for water and pastures for their cattle within parks and game reserves, neighbouring communities are competing for scarce resources meant for wildlife.
• UWA has has embarked on a project to contruct dams to save wildlife. Each dam is worth Shs20 million and once filled with water, it can sustain wildlife through the dry seasons, writes Felix Basiime.

By Felix Basiime

In a bid to boost tourism and prevent wild animals from dying during drought, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has embarked on an initiative of digging up dams that will serve animals in all savannah national parks across the country.

The savannah parks located in the cattle corridor include Tooro Semliki game reserve in Ntoroko District, Lake Mburo in Kiruhuura and Kidepo Valley in Karamoja.

Reducing death of wildlife
According to Mr Philemon Tumwebaze, the assistant warden in charge of ecological monitoring and research at Tooro Semliki, wild animals are affected by the same drought conditions as domestic animals in the cattle corridor.

“As a way to guard against losing our animals, management thought it wise to dig dams so that during the wet season they will be filled with water to sustain animals in the dry season. Previously they have been moving long distance in search for water. Many animals would walk many kilometres to River Wassa” says Tumwebaze.

Dam project to be rolled out
He adds: “Initially, we constructed three dams in strategic areas of animal concentration, where tourists can easily view them, especially the Uganda Kobs, buffalos and elephants. We intend to roll out this dam project to across the country.”

“When the President visited Ntoroko District recently, he appealed to Ntoroko District administration to dig up dams for cattle keepers and neighbouring communities so that they leave water for wildlife in the park” says Tumwebaze, adding, “And as UWA, we are optimistic that dams will minimise the rate of deaths in Mburo, Kidepo and Tooro Semliki parks,” he adds.

He noted that each dam measures 20 by 80 metres wide and three to four metres deep and is worth Shs20 million. “If it is filled with water, it can sustain wildlife through the dry seasons.”

Grazing in the park
As some national parks in the cattle corridors face rampant cases of cattle keepers illegally grazing their cattle in the park, in search of pasture and water, they compete for scarce resources meant for wildlife and chances of exchanging diseases are high.
All protected areas are a reserve of wildlife (fauna and flora) and no domestic animal should be grazed in the gazette area, according to UWA Act 2000.

“When the drought hits hard, the cattle keeping communities around the parks herd their cattle around the parks, an activity that dries up water sources meant for wildlife. This is why we want to construct dams specifically meant for wildlife in these parks. Government is also setting up dams for cattle in Ntoroko District,” said Tumwebaze.

Supporting communities
UWA has decided to support the cattle keepers too through a water project. “UWA is supporting the neighbouring communities around the park with a gravity water project, which is being tapped from River Wassa to Ntoroko, Kanara and Rwebisengo areas” he says.

In March last year, court in Ntoroko District sentenced four cattle keepers to jail for illegally grazing more than 600 cows in Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve. Mr Deusdedit Twinomugisha, the assistant warden of Community Conservation at Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, says the cattle keepers have killed all the lions in the reserve because they eat their cattle.

“Lions are one of the most sought after tourist attractions in the park. Tourists pay a lot of money to come and see wild animals, birds and nature. They do not expect to see domestic animals in the park,” he cautioned, adding that “the reserve receives between 500 to 700 tourists each year.”

500 herds of cattle dead
Cattle keepers in Ntoroko District have lost more than 500 herds of cattle following the drought from January June last year. Pastoralists and residents trek between six kilometres and 10kms daily searching for water from rivers Semliki, Wasa (inside Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve), Muzizi and Makondo.

President Yoweri Museveni in September last year noted that government would construct dams to accommodate excess waters that flow freely in Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts to deal with the floods within the region. “We shall solve the flood problem by setting up more valley dams downstream in Ntoroko District to tap the excess water” Museveni said.

About the park
Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve covers part of Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts and also borders with Lake Albert.

Uganda kobs dominant
As early as 1913, Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve became popular for tsetse fly control programme and as a lion hunting area for the King of Tooro.

It was established as a game reserve in 1926, under General Notice 546 aiming at the protection of the large population of wild animals, of which Uganda kobs were dominant. Other animals were reedbucks, waterbucks, hartebeests, lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and others.

The reserve covers an area of 542sq, km. It is located in western Uganda and is neighboured by 12 sub- counties.

Harbours endangered species
It is a habitat to a number of endangered species including the chimps in the central savanna and the river line forest of Mugiri, Wasa, and Nyaburogo rivers. The chimps here exhibit unique features such as digging drinking holes.

Challenges
However, the game reserve faces challenges that include poaching, illegal grazing, poor road network to the reserve, negative attitude by the community towards conservation, illegal trafficking of wildlife resources and a high demand of resources from the reserve such as poles, firewood, water and grass.
Plans are underway to elevate the game reserve into a national park and one of its key brand is the shoe bill, widely revered by birders.

QUICK FACTS
Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve covers Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts and also borders Lake Albert. The reserve covers an area of 542sqkm. Located in western Uganda, it is a habitat to a number of endangered species including the chimps, Uganda kobs reedbucks, waterbucks, hartebeests, lions, buffaloes, elephants and hippos. As early as 1913, the game reserve was known as a lion hunting area for the King of Tooro.

If I had to visit western Uganda..

...I would definitely go to...

Kitagata Hot Springs
The scene of people almost naked, resting in water in a pond-like formation is the first to inform you that you have arrived at Kitagata Hot Springs. Women and men of all ages enjoying the water flowing from the two nearby springs. The water in the springs can warm up to 80 °C (176 °F).

Kisiizi Falls
The beautiful Kisiizi falls lie on Kyabamba River, a few metres from Kisiizi Hospital in Rukungiri District, which borders Kabale. These falls are about 27 metres high, dropping water into a gorge continuing the flow of the river. Tourists are welcomed by mist from the falls, at least 100 metres away.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Although Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is known for Gorilla trekking, bird watching is an activity you cannot afford to miss because of the abundance of rare species of birds. About 350 species of birds can be found in Bwindi and these include black-billed turaco, African green broadbill, chapin’s flycatcher, among others

How water hyacinth on Lake Albert is boosting tourism industry

The water hyacinth affects fishing and other businesses on Lake Albert. The weed entangles with the nets preventing fishermen from catching fish. NET PHOTO. 

SATURDAY JANUARY 25 2020

https://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Travel/How-water-hyacinth-Lake-Albert-boosting-tourism-industry/691238-5431676-11v09dj/index.html

In Summary

• BLESSING IN DISGUISE. While the water hyacinth has crippled business on Lake Albert, especially the fishing activity, it has presented a perfect opportunity for birders to watch one of the most sought after bird- the Shoebill. The water weed attracts birds to prey on aquatic animals, writes Felix Basiime.

By Felix Basiime

Despite the fact that the water hyacinth is affecting more than 10,000 people in Ntoroko District, whose source of livelihood depends on fishing on Lake Albert, it has given the shoebill a golden opportunity to enjoy catching its prey.

The shoebill, which is the most prized bird for Tooro Semliki game reserve attracts between 500 to 700 tourists each year, according to the warden in charge of Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Mr Benon Mugyerwa.

10 tourists visit the park daily
Mugyerwa says: “About 10 tourists, mostly birders visit the park daily to watch the shoebill on Lake Albert. Each trip on the water boat costs $100 (Shs367,379) and tourists enjoy bird watching.” He adds: “There are 95 per cent chances of seeing the shoebill at Semliki. I have spent 20 years here. In other parks, it may take you two weeks without seeing this bird. The water weed has enabled us to view the shoebill. This bird has turned into Tooro’s tourism brand.”

Business on the lake shore crippled
While the water weeds have crippled businesses on Lake Albert, on the other hand it has made life easier for some birds to prey on aquatic animals.

According to the affected fishermen, the weed has hindered fishing activities in most of the fishing landing sites in the district as the weed hampers easy movement of the traditional canoes and makes it harder for the fishermen to cast their nets in the water, because the weed roots have made a cobweb like mesh in the water.

While on the lake, the fishermen guide the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers to locate the shoebills. Because of their grey colour, it is not easy to locate them on water at a long distance.

While on Lake Albert, we saw another interesting small bird called pygmy kingfisher, catching fish. “That bird you see, it is called the pygmy kingfisher, it can mount any bird that it comes across, whether it is the same or different specie,” says Philermon Tumwebaze, the assistant warden, Ecological Monitoring and Research at Tooro Semliki.

How they feed
Kingfishers feed on a wide variety of prey. They are known for hunting and eating fish. Their family contains 114 species. The shoebill, also known as Balaeniceps rex, is one of the world’s most sought after bird.
According to kabiza.com, an online publication, Uganda is a top destination for watching the shoebill while on a safari.

Other sites for bird watching
Places such as Mabamba Swamp along Lake Victoria, Lugogo Swamp in Ziwa Rhino Reserve, the lower Nile in Murchison Falls Park and Lake Mburo are some of the parks where you can spot the shoebill stork.

The same publication states that Uganda has safe, secure, easily accessible locations where tourists on a safari can spot the prehistoric shoebill stork.
The shoebill survives on a diet of mainly lungfish supplemented by frogs, puddle fish, baby crocodiles and water snakes.

They have sharp edges on their wide beaks. They tend to be nocturnal and do not have webbed feet, which give them a stealth-like ability as they hunt for lungfish.
Tumwebaze says Lake Albert provides the most perfect site for a shoebill to be viewed, should one consider birding experience in Uganda.

According to Bashir Hangi, the spokesman of UWA, tourism is one of the top revenue earners and in the last financial year, Uganda earned Shs5.35 trillion.

Brief facts about the shoebill
According to factanimal.com, the shoebill is a large, elusive, stork-like bird with an almost prehistoric appearance, due to its oversized shoe-shaped beak. They are sometimes referred to as ‘whalehead‘, for obvious reasons.

Shoebill inhabit freshwater swamps and marshes of Uganda, Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana and Tanzania.

The Shoebill enjoys its prey from the lake. Shoebill is one of the most sought after birds in Uganda. NET PHOTO

Its distribution is often close to the presence of papyrus vegetation, and lungfish.

Shoebill were previously thought of as storks, but genetic research has re-classified them as members of the order pelecaniformes and family palaenicipitidae, which are large water birds, genetically closer to pelicans and herons.

Origin of water weed
The head of National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Dr Anthony Tabu, says water hyacinth is mostly associated with lakes that spew plenty of nutrients into the water.
“The weed can be removed manually but that maybe costly because it involves paying people who have fuel and boats to remove them,” Dr Tabu said, adding that once the weed entangles with the nets, fishermen cannot catch any fish.

The water hyacinth became prominent in late 1980s and mid-1990s, with its impact mostly felt in 1995, when the weed covered 90 per cent of the Lake Victoria shoreline.
It cuts off oxygen supply to aquatic life. Hyacinth is an aquatic floating plant that has become a global freshwater scourge after being inadvertently transported worldwide.

Environmental experts say a combined approach to stop the further spread of the weed is necessary because it can be used as raw material for feeds and act as breeding spots for some aquatic lives.

About Semliki game reserve
According to Mr Deusdedit Twinomugisha, the assistant warden in charge of Community Conservation at Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve, the reserve became significant for tsetse fly control programme and a lion hunting area for the king of Tooro kingdom.

“Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve was established as a game reserve in 1926 aiming at the protection of the large population of wild animals of which Uganda kobs were dominant. Other games were reedbucks, waterbucks, hartebeests, lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and others” he says
The reserve covers an area of 542sq, km. It is located in western Uganda, within Ntoroko and Kabarole districts.

Habitat for endangered species
It is a habitat to a number of endangered species (IUCN red list) including the chimps in the central savanna and the river line forest of Mugiri, Wasa, and Nyaburogo Rivers. These chimps here exhibit a number of unique features, for example they dig drinking holes even when water is available.
The park hosts more than 400 bird species, notably among which are the shoebill stork, the pigmy kingfisher found along the shores of Lake Albert, which comprises a permanent wetland.

It has magnificent scenery located in land scape in the Albertine Rift, comprising of unique geographical features and landscapes, such as the flat open area in the rift valley, gorges, L. Albert and escarpment.
The management at Tooro Semliki is negotiating plans of having a national park status in order to tap into the potential tourism products in Kabarole District.

QUICK FACTS
According to factanimal.com, the shoebill is a large, elusive, stalk-like bird with an oversized shoe-shaped beak. They are sometimes referred to as ‘Whalehead‘, for obvious reasons. Shoebill inhabit freshwater swamps and marshes of Uganda, Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana and Tanzania. Its distribution is often close to the presence of papyrus vegetation, and lungfish.

If I had TO go birding...

It would definitely be...

Mabamba Bay Wetland
Located on the edge of Lake Victoria, Mabamba Bay Wetland is one of few places where the rare shoebill stork can be found. Sighting the shoebill stork at Mabamba Bay Wetland will make your Uganda birding safari all the more exciting.

Murchison Falls National Park
About 450 bird species have been recorded in Murchison Falls National Park and these can best be seen during a wildlife game drive through the park or when on a boat ride to the bottom of Murchison Falls. Bird species in Murchison Falls National Park include Goliath Heron and Swamp Flycatcher.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Although Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is known for Gorilla trekking, bird watching is an activity you cannot afford to miss because of the abundance of rare species of birds. About 350 species of birds can be found in Bwindi and these include black-billed turaco, African green broadbill, chapin’s flycatcher, among others

How scattered water sources, culture have increased teenage pregnancies in Rwenzori

A 14 year old mother in Bugoye, Ibanda, Kasese district attends a seminar for teenage mothers. Photo by Moris Mumbere

BY FELIX BASIIME

& MORIS MUMBERE

OCTOBER 30, 2019

UGANDA: Long distance to safe water sources in some parts of the Rwenzori sub region, in Western Uganda and culture has increased teenage pregnancies according to local leaders.

Kasese district chairman, Mr Sibendire Bigogo said that young girls trek long distances to fetch water after classes and along the way they is defiled.

He said that teenage pregnancy and early marriages are highest in Maliba, Bwesumbu, Bugoye, Munkunyu, Kitswamba, Kyabarungira, Buhuhira and Kyalhumba sub counties in the hilly Busongora north.

“We shall start arresting men who lure these young girls and the rest will learn and fear to engage in such useless early marriage issues” Sibendire said.

Bigogo that he was shocked at Kitswamba Health Center III last month where he found girls between 14 to 16 years having three or more children.

“Of course these girls were actually defiled but most of them don’t report to authorities including police” Bigogo noted.

Daily Monitor found, Ms Bridget Biira, 18 at Kitswamba Health Center III where she had come for medical checkup.

The mother of three children said that she was defiled at the age of 16 while as she fetched water at a well in the evening. She was then in primary six and was forced to drop out of school.

A midwife at the facility who preferred anonymity said that at least 15 young girls are received daily for antenatal care.

Most residents we talked to attributed the problem to scarcity of water in the area which they said forces many children to trek long distances in search of water.

Mr Swaibu Mujungu, a teacher at Kitswamba SDA primary school said that young girls in the area were being waylaid on the way home by people luring them into immature relationships.

Medical records at Kitswamba Health Center III show that in July those who attended Antenatal clinic at the age between 10-19 were 17 women, in August were 11 women while in September were 10.

“Therefore this indicates that in a period of 3 months a total of 38 teenage pregnancies and subsequently early marriages were registered in Kiwamba Sub County alone” observed Ms Angela Byangwa, the Executive Director Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition (RAC).

Teachers blamed

Parents in Mukunyu Sub County, the leading sub county in early marriages have blamed teachers as key in abating the problem in the area.

“The situation in our villages is so scaring, during evening preps and night winters for learners, most teachers and head teachers don’t wake up to monitor and supervise how the children behave, teachers spend more time with our children than we parents, what they plan during school days is not known to some of us, most of the bad characters are trained from schools yet we parents sent innocent children to schools” Mr Semu Bikasobera, a parent said.

Mr George Mayinja, the district education officer said it is true some teachers have been accused of sexual harassment of girls in schools and urged head teachers to be vigilant and do what is expected of them since they are the first inspectors in schools.

Leaders in Nyamwamba division in Kasese municipality said there is a high number of younger mothers and defilement and attributed it to poverty, domestic violence and culture.

 “In Konjo culture a female is capable of forming a family at 15 years” said the Nyamwamba division chairman, Mr Sayidi Kisuki, adding, “This is evidenced when mothers tell their children how they got married to their fathers between 14 and 18 years”.

Poor structures

However some residents attributed increase in teenage pregnancies to some parents who share their small rooms with children who in turn tend to discover and copy from their parents.

The vice chairperson for Kitswamba Sub County, Ms Naume Muthanaba said the challenge of early marriages in Kasese district can be addressed only if parents met their obligations, if residents are sensitized on the value of education, dropping cultural beliefs and practices, and if residents learnt to respect the rights of children.

She said that in the densely populated area of Railway Parish, parents have continued to share single rooms with their children. She said this has led to children to practice sexual issues copying from the parents who no longer have secrecy.

Distant health centers

The furthest person to access Railway health center II is at 6 Km. women have to trek long distances under the hot temperatures to access services like Antenatal, Immunisation according to a September report by RAC.

According to Ms Nyakato Constance, the councilor for Central division, Kasese municipality, there are increased cases of defilement, early marriages, and teenage pregnancies.

“Parents have only detected defilement after the occurrence of pregnancy. This means every defilement case is presented with teenage pregnancies in Railway Parish. All cases of defilement are concealed and silently happening with the knowledge of any of the parents”.

Ray of hope

Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) with support from UN Women is implementing Budgeting for Gender and Equity Project (B4GE) in Kasese, Abim and Kampala, Amuria, Gulu and Kitgum. B4GE project will enhance capacities of gender and women rights networks and institutions to effectively demand for gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE) commitments in the Government budgets. The project has been running from July and will end in December.

The project which is also partnered with RAC advocates for gender and women rights networks and institutions to demand for gender responsive service delivery, access to equal opportunities and empowerment of women and girls’ commitments in line with global norms and standards.

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Other Interventions

Of recent, six schools in Kasese district have been selected as pilot to champion control of early child marriages in the district.

“We {Kasese} are known in the whole country as the leading district in early child marriage and as leaders we decided to identify few schools which can work as samples for others in educating them on better behaviors to reduce the child marriage virus in the district” said Ms Rebbecca Kabugho, the Executive director Girl empowerment foundation.

Kabugho said that there are lots of negative stories and statistics about girls in the district which are alarming and the district leaders had to act first to reduce the growing habits of early marriages in young girls to have a better future.

The selected schools include Mbunga, Kimandama, Nyakazinga, Bunyandiko primary schools and Mt. Rwenzori girls and Royal rangers’ secondary schools which will be models for other schools and the young mothers in the community.

“The selected schools will work as sample schools for the entire community on teaching better safe ways to avoid child marriage in the district”.

Mr Godson Mumbere, the Executive Director Vision International Actors, an NGO in Kasese said that teenage mothers face several challenges that hinder their education performance like menstruation hygiene, forced marriage, gender based violence, abortion and use of excessive drugs to prevent pregnancy which are applied on their lives to suit in the community as well as avoiding challenges that put them to shame.

Mumbere whose NGO deals in sexual reproductive health rights explained that domestic violence, denial of food and forced marriages allegedly done by parents on young girls “has affected the girls physiologically and emotionally and most parents prefer boys education to girls which demoralize girls and decide anyhow yet as human beings we have equal rights”.

According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2014, in Bukonjo County East, with a population of 165,067, females aged between 10 to 19 years who have ever been married were 2, 698, while females aged between 12 to 19 who had ever given birth were 2,590.

The same report shows that in Busongora north, with a population of 180,810, only 14, 410 people could access piped water and only 2,793 could access bore hole water.

Summary of some case categories reported in the last year 2018 in Kasese district

CASE	REPORTED	INVESTIGATED	CONVICTED
Forced marriage	2	2	2
Child marriage	9	7	5
Defilement	21 (9 boys 12 girls)	21	11
Child labour	7	7	3

Source: Kasese Central Police station

Summary of some case categories reported at Kasese Central Police station from January 1, 2019 to October 27, 2019

Case	Court going	Pending inquiry	Put away	Convicted
Aggravated defilement	14	07	00	00
Simple defilement	22	21	06	04
Attempted rape	00	00	01	00
Attempted defilement	00	01	00	00

Source: Kasese Central Police station

                        END

Gorillas that migrated from Rwanda, a boost to Uganda’s tourism

A mountain gorilla and its family. Courtesy photo

BY FELIX BASIIME

& ROBERT MUHEREZA

OCTOBER 30, 2019

UGANDA: Last week about 20 gorillas from Hirwa family in Virunga Conservation area migrated from Rwanda side of the park to Mount Mgahinga Gorilla National park in south western Uganda.

This development will boost Uganda’s tourism according to business players in the sector.

Mr Pontius Izuma, the Manager Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation area in Kisoro district confirmed this development.

“Yes, the fact is that the Virunga area is the same ecosystem that covers parts of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, and these wild animals find it easy to migrate within the same ecosystem, so there is always a movement” Izuma said.

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows.

Tourism is one of the top revenue contributors to Uganda’s economy, fetching the country $1.45b (about Shs5.3 trillion) last financial year.

Tour business

The executive director of Gatatu tours Safaris that takes tourists to Rwanda and Uganda, Mr Richard Tusasirwe expressed happiness that the migrated gorillas from Rwanda will boost his business.

He said that over 90 percent of tourists that come to Kigezi sub region come to see mountain gorillas in the Bwindi, Mgahinga national parks in Uganda and the volcanoes national park in Rwanda and the Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“I recently heard that a group of mountain gorrilas crossed from Rwanda to Uganda and i feel that the recent gun shots by rangers pursuing poachers in Nyungwe national park could have scared them” Tusasirwe said, adding that no single tourist can come to Bwindi and Mghahinga parks in Uganda when the mountain gorillas are no longer in that area.

Nyungwe National Park lies in southwest Rwanda, partly abutting the Burundi border. It's a vast area of mountain rainforest, home to many species of chimpanzees, plus owl-faced and colobus monkeys. The Canopy Walkway, part of the Igishigishigi Trail, is a high suspension bridge with views over the valley and surrounding forests. A trail runs to the Kamiranzovu Marsh, with its birdlife, orchids and waterfall.

According to Mr Bashir Hangi, the Uganda Wildlife Authority spokesman, “Wild animals don’t know boundaries of countries; the ecosystem is their home that crosses borders, so they can cross to either side, they don’t understand things of the borders”

Why migrate

Despite wild animals sharing the same ecosystem across borders, they are like humans, they can shift from habitat to another and take refuge in a safer place according to the threat or challenge they face at the time.

The threats or challenges range from poaching as some animals are hunted for food or treasure, climate change, to insecurity in a particular country like wars among others. For example, during Idi Amin’s regime and during the ADF war in Western Uganda, the population of elephants in Queen Elizabeth National park is said to have reduced after hundreds of them migrated to DR Congo for safety.

Mr Nelson Guma, the Chief Warden of Kibale Conservation Area observed that “Elephants mainly in Ishasha side, part of Queen Elizabeth National park, usually cross to DR Congo and back, the same as Bongo, an antelope in Semuliki national park, usually crosses to Virunga national park and back because it is the same ecosystem”

He added, “these animals are like humans, they also seek refuge where they find contort and where conditions are very conducive for them, so transboundaries always happen”

About Virunga

According to African Wildlife Foundation, an online publication, Virunga ecosystem, the mountain gorilla sanctuary is under threat despite being a greater biodiversity in Africa’s Albertine Rift region than in any other ecosystem in Africa. This richly diverse array of habitats is home to critical populations of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas.

Along with its abundance of wildlife, Virunga National Park has an exceptional diversity of landscapes ranging from the glaciers of the Rwenzori Mountains, at over 5,000 meters, to impenetrable forests, savannas, rivers, and lake ecosystems. Virunga National Park lies in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but mountain gorilla habitat extends across country borders to southwestern Uganda and northeastern of Rwanda, covering over 790,000 hectares.

The park’s magnificent volcanic mountain ranges and endemic species placed it on the UNESCO World heritage list in 1979. Political insecurity, poaching, and resource extraction landed the park on the List of World Heritage in danger, where the park’s status has remained since 1994.

                      END