Uganda’s King of the Jungle on the Brink of Extinction
In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the King of the Jungle living between Kasenyi and Hamukungu and another living near River Nyamugasani in the north western part of the park are in danger of being poisoned.
"Poisoning of the lion is becoming a regular feature," says Siefert, "it is only a question of when, but two more prides are exposed to poisoning because UWA can not eliminate intrusion of the cattle grazers in the park."
The Lion may be the king of the jungle but in Uganda he is losing the battle to his would-be prey.
Armed with poison, Basongora herdsmen might drive lions and hyenas out of Queen Elizabeth National Park as they try to stop them from killing their cattle.
Wilson Okaali, the leader of the Basongora, says his tribesmen have no problems with wild animals, not even the lions. The Basongora, according to him, are like someone who is trapped between a rock and hard place. He says keeping wild animals is part of the heritage of the Basongora.
"It is not the intention of the Basongora to go against their heritage. It is the way the park is managed that has caused the local people to become hostile to the wild animals," Okaali explains.
"We have been staying with wildlife for centuries because unlike many tribes we do not eat wild animals," he adds.
Okaali noted that when the park was created in 1952, the Basongora were disregarded as "owners" of the land. He also states that despite changes in management of wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park, compensation is not provided for those who lose their cattle.
"We do not earn anything from wildlife yet the lions sometimes eat our cattle," says Okaali. "Those accusing the Basongora are park managers who are employed and paid money for managing the park, but they do not want to listen to the victims of the raids by lions."
According to local residents, park authorities did not respond to repeated warnings that a pride of lions was moving deeper into the park and approaching Hamukungu, a human enclave within the park. Previously, Basongora herdsmen had strayed into the national park to graze and ended up luring the pride.
The Uganda Wild life Authority executive director Moses Mapesa says lions are wild animals and that it is difficult to restrict them to the park. But it is possible to restrict livestock to the villages without moving into the park.
"The problem is that livestock is all over space. The cattle come to the park and go back to the villages. What happens is that the lions follow," he says.
The lions, a critically endangered species, are hanging on by a thread. Biologists like Siefert estimate that there are less than 60 lions in Queen Elizabeth national Park as opposed to 100 a decade ago.
The big cats which are African kings, they never die alone. The poison set for lions also kills hyenas because they eat the leftovers from the lions' meal.
Unlike the lions, the whole population of hyenas can get poisoned, according to Siefert.
He says accurate census for the hyenas in the whole park has not been undertaken, but the population could be declining.
For instance, he says, the hyenas that used to have dens around Mweya and Kabatoro have reduced from 54 to only five within the last two years.
"Though they gave birth recently only two of them are visible," says Siefert. "They could have been killed by the Basongora's poison."
While the lion is one of the big five, which many tourists crave for, the sad reality is that it is disappearing from the landscape, according to Siefert.
"Tourists going out at night complain bitterly that although they see lions and leopards, they rarely get to see a hyena," he says.
"Night Cultural wildlife tourism is under threat because you can't take visitors out in the night when the nocturnal animals are not there.
When hyenas become excited they make a howling and clucking noise that sounds very similar to the laughter of an insane person.
However, when a hyena 'laughs' it doesn't necessarily mean that it is happy. The hyena also makes this noise when it is feeling anxious or fearful, for example, when it is being chased by a lion.
The hyena knows that it can't take on a lion and so the lion gets first choice as to what he eats for dinner. So, the hyena has to wait until the lion has finished and then he is allowed to eat as much as is left over.
Compiled by
Jackie
9 Baffalos and more hippos die from Anthrax in Queen Elizabeth Park
An anthrax outbreak in Queen Elizabeth National Park has killed 82 hippos and nine buffaloes since June 2010.
The chairman of the National Anthrax Task Force Dr Nicholas Kauta told journalists on Thursday that the most affected areas are those surrounding Kazinga Channel and lakes Edward and George.
As a national response, he said, the task force is implementing a multi-pronged response which includes undertaking a base line study to determine the extent of the outbreak and affected species through carrying out carcass management, marine and terrestrial patrols and sample analysis.
He warned people around the area not to graze animals in the park, report all sicknesses and deaths in wild and domestic animals to authorities and not to consume meat from sick and dead animals.
He said there will be a ring vaccination of livestock in the national park and all health centres have been put on high alert.
Anthrax is caused by bacteria (bacillus anthracis) in the atmosphere. Animals mainly herbivores get it through contaminated grass, soil and water.
Humans can acquire it through eating contaminated meat and animal products from infected animals.
The park has often experienced attacks in 1954 and in 1994 and 2004. In 2004, about 300 hippos died.
The Uganda Wild Life Authority says there is no cause of alarm that all animals in the park might die because the beasts have natural immunity to the disease.
Compiled by
Jackie
Uganda Tourism Vibrant Despite Bomb Blasts
The Uganda Tourists and tour operators earlier have been weary of the situation and its impact on the tourism sector. However, players in the field say apart from inquiries, there are no tourists canceling their booking and safaris that characterize the season will go as planned.
Hundreds of tourists book vocations in Uganda during this period to visit parks and especially to trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Concerns whether they would cancel their trips or change their itinerary have been quelled by further bookings, according the Mr Moses Mapesa, the executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority, a body that is charged with keeping the national parks, among other tourism attractions
Assuring Tourists, Mr Mapesa said he has not received any cancellation, something that reassures the sector that the bombs scare will not seriously affect the business. On Wednesday morning, tour operators held a meeting at the Uganda Tourism Board offices in Kampala at the meeting, they resolved on safety measures of tourists in the country and those about to arrive.
Though the primary aim of the meeting the upcoming World Travel Market (WTM) fair in London due in November, tour operators addressed matters regarding the bombs scare because they could be damaging to their business.
Miss Najjuka, the manager of Katona tours and travel said that though some tourists who booked with her company are concerned and have been inquiring whether it is safe to visit the country, she is glad that none of them has cancelled and have sent 6 groups of Tourists to National parks this week. Three Tourists are hiking Rwenzori, One couple is on 21 days Vacation to celebrate their marriage , a group of 5 has gone for a grand safari and the rest of the groups are tracking gorillas.
Mr Baluku, a secretary general of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) said,, "No park has been far closed, so as long as visitors observe safety precautions, the situation is very normal."
Uganda Tourism Board's Edwin Muzahura added, "I have met the private sector in tourism and we have agreed on updating our clients on the situation back home." He said providing factual updates on the website, twitter and face book helps tourists understand the situation as it is, and not to scare them away.
"These scares happen anywhere and tourists cannot stop to come because two bombs are detonated in some parts of Kampala. For example, South Africa was on high alert before and during the World Cup, but millions of football fans watched the games peacefully. The situation in Kampala is very controllable and every other places tourists visit, are more security conscious than possibly they have been."
Mr Mapesa adds, "People out there understand that there are security concerns in America, Europe, Asia and everywhere." He said there are reasonable security measures in place to protect the tourists from harm, adding, UWA has enough security on its own in all national parks.
"The safaris are done in the total guidance of our staff. We tell our visitors to travel during the day and to be inside by 7p.m.," he says, adding, "And even when a tourist asked for a self guided tour, we advise them on routes and give them a map."
Mr Muzahura told Saturday Monitor, the situation is under control and that is why the government has not issued any travel advisories. Mr Baluku adds, the coming months are high season for safaris and if the government serves advisory notices, it would heavily impact on the tourism industry.
Compiled by
Jackie
Tanzania Tourist Board gets new Managing Director
Dr. Aloyce K. Nzuki has been appointed as the new Managing Director of the Tanzania Tourist Board
Dr. Nzuki brings years of experience in the tourism industry to the position. He previously worked with Tanzania’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism as an Assistant Director in Tourism Development and Tourism Research, Training and Statistics.
He was appointed by H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
Under Dr. Nzuki’s direction, the Tanzania Tourist Board will continue to promote sustainable tourism domestically and internationally.
“As Tanzania’s tourism industry, which accounts for 17.2 percent of the country’s GNP, keeps growing, we will remain focused on high quality, low impact tourism to ensure the sustainability of the tourism product. We look forward to continuing the momentum started in the United States, which remains our number-one market,” said Dr. Nzuki.
Dr. Nzuki studied Statistics at Makerere University in Uganda and completed a master’s degree in Tourism Marketing at University of Surrey in England. He holds a doctorate
Degree in Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management from Clemson University of South Carolina.
Until last month, Dr. Nzuki was an Assistant Professor of International Business Administration at the College of Applied Sciences in Salalah, Oman. He has also worked as a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s World Committee on Tourism Ethics, the body responsible for interpreting, applying and evaluating the provisions of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
Compild by
Jackie
Seychelles to promote Uganda’s Tourism
The World’s second most conservationist country, Seychelles, has added Uganda and some EAC countries on its list of tourist destinations.
This opportunity will promote the country’s gorilla and wildlife destinations to visitors from Europe, America and other parts of the world.
Speaking at a meeting of Uganda’s tour operators in Kampala, Mr David Germain, the Seychelles Tourist Regional manager said; originally South Africa and the US alone have been the main market.
“We have decided to take a more general approach and identified specific countries on the African continent; we have chosen Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya as potential partners in promoting tourism,” Mr Germain said.
Compiled by
Jackie
Uganda Government to Revamp 65 Museums
The Government of Uganda has pledged to revamp 65 museums in order to boost the tourism industry, the State Minister for Tourism, Serapio Rukondo, has said.
He made the disclosure in a speech read by the acting principal wildlife officer, Akankwasa Barirega, during the launch of the first community museums exhibition at the National Theatre in Kampala on Wednesday.
A map showing the existing rural museums was also launched at the ceremony.
The minister pointed out that the Government will use research and innovation to promote tourism.
Rukundo said the Government will organize rural and international exhibitions.
“Studies have shown that cultural heritage is a better source of revenue from tourists,” Rukundo said.
The exhibition was organized by the Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda.
Items exhibited included traditional items from Teso, Karamoja, Busoga, Bugisu, Banyoro, Ankole and Buganda.
Participants in the exhibition included Karamoja Women Cultural Group, Iteso Cultural Centre, Jinja Research Centre, Butambala Heritage Centre of Civilization and Jinja Museum.
Compiled by
Jackie