Have you ever heard about jilted parties committing murder to their spouses? Have you ever heard of a gorilla in the wild being killed for refusing to get committed in a sexual relationship? During the last quarter of the year 2011, something that was never heard of in wildlife happened in one of the Uganda’s
97 New Species for Bwindi and 33 for Uganda
You may remember we hosted a study of our lichens here in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park earlier this year. Recently I asked Andreas for an update. He sent an interim report developed with his colleagues in Sweden: Lena and Thor. Let me share a short summary The collections have turned out to be richer, and
New 10-Year Management Plan for Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Area
The New 10 Year Management Plan for Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Area is underway! The plan is in the first stage of a General Management Plan (GMP) development for the Bwindi and Mgahinga Conservation Area (BMCA). A team of 15 planners had a reconnaissance trip of conditions, facilities and management issues in the two parks making up
Local Communities – Friends or Foe to Conservation?
“We have lived with the wildlife since time immemorial. You were not here and yet we spared the forest. How come you are now the ones giving us instructions on how to conserve it?” This is one of the many challenging questions conservation managers have to face when dealing with communities neighboring conservation areas. While
Gorilla Census will be the Most Accurate Ever
In an effort to help conservationists understand population dynamics of the gorillas, assess the success of conservation programmes aimed at ensuring their survival, and ensure that they receive continued attention from the global conservation community; Uganda Wildlife Authority together with partners is carrying out a gorilla census in Bwindi National Park. This is the fourth
Aquaponics at Conservation Through Public Health
ECOLIFE Foundation has been collaborating with Conservation Through Public Health for the last six months. At the CTPH field station in Bwindi, Uganda we have created an Aquaponics system right next to the critically endangered mountain gorillas. CTPH Staff participating in the building of the acquaponics project in Bwindi Aquaponics is the symbiotic growing of
Gorilla Census for Bwindi Kicks Off
The long awaited census has finally kicked off. Bwindi impenetrable is known to have more than half of the world’s mountain gorillas. The Teams comprising of rangers and wardens from the three countries from Uganda, Rwanda and Congo are assembled in Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable forest to begin a pre-census training. Other key partners
Could Poachers have hunted Bwindi’s Leopards to extinction?
Hunting poses a major threat to many large mammals. It can also have a lasting impact. Just last month, a black-back mountain gorilla (in Bwindi) was brutally speared to death by suspected poachers for a reason that it had attacked their hunting dog. With only a few hundred animals it wouldn’t take much hunting to
Save the Shaggy Rat: Conserving Neglected Animals
Protected areas in SW Uganda include significant populations of several globally threatened animals. While mountain gorillas, elephants and chimpanzees have received a lot of attention, many smaller animals in the region remain poorly known and neglected. The last few weeks we have been putting together a proposal to address conservation of neglected species with a
Bwindi’s Teachers Receive Environmental Education Training
Conflicts and disagreements between park managers (UWA) and the neighboring communities have existed ever since the gazetting of Bwindi Impenetrable National park. This is partly attributed to the limited local awareness of the forest’s environmental and conservation value. Environmental education offers one solution. The environment and how to protect it has to be a central