Uganda Wildlife Populations Increase Due to Intensified Protection

There is a reason for Uganda to celebrate as the tourism industry (its largest foreign exchange earner), which is largely dependent on wildlife is about to earn bigger. Thanks to intensified protection efforts by Uganda Wildlife Authority and other stakeholders the country has recorded a booming wildlife population over the last four decades. This revelation was made by the Tourism Minister- Hon. Col. Tom R Butime on Wednesday, 8^th February 2023.

However, Hon Butime also called for more effort in saving the declining wildlife species, especially lions whose current population in Uganda stands at only 400 individuals, and the endangered chimpanzees whose population stands at about 5000 individuals in the entire country.

Uganda, a land-locked East African country is one of the most beautiful and biodiverse places on Earth, and due to intensified integrity of the Protected Areas, the number of wildlife species has more than doubled from 1983 to 2021 and these include the Rothschild giraffes, elephants, and Buffaloes. For instance, the Elephant population has multiplied from 2000 to 7975 individuals, while the population of the long-necked creatures (giraffes) has grown by sixfold to the current 2072 individuals.

Uganda’s Buffalo population has also grown in the past four decades from 25000 individuals to 44,000 individuals, added the Tourism Minister. Hon, Butime also expressed joy while indicating that the Government was able to re-introduce Rhinos back into the country having gone extinct in the early 1980s.

While this achievement is worth celebrating, a number of threats are still being experienced and these include climate, habitat loss, poaching, and revenge killing of animals (especially chimpanzees and lions) hence making their numbers shrink. Increased efforts should be implored to recover declining populations of these wildlife species before they become extinct.

United Nations Biodiversity Experts warned in 2022 that the widespread exploitation of Mother Nature is a huge threat to the welfare and survival of billions of people across the Globe who depend on wild species for income, food, and energy. A Report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in December 2022 acknowledged that the animals living on private land in the country remain largely unprotected and called upon the change in policies aimed at mitigating human-animal conflicts in such areas.

Interestingly, Uganda is home to more than half the World’s population of mountain gorillas living in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks (in southwestern Uganda) as well as over 11% of the World’s total bird species. These are just a small slice of the extraordinary offerings in this beautiful country, dubbed the Pearl of Africa. It will also interest you to know that this country is a haven to about half the entire Continent’s mammals, according to the United Nations.

In 2019 (before the 2-year Covid-19 pandemic), Travel and Tourism contributed over 7.9% of Uganda’s GDP and has through the years been the top foreign exchange earner in the country.

Must-visit places in Uganda

Uganda is celebrated worldwide as the “Pearl of Africa” and one of the most beautiful and rawest safari destinations. A small country where the rainforests are still untouched, some of the rarest and most sought-after wildlife species (mountain gorillas, and chimpanzees) are found, and where the weather gives a certain kind of peace and calmness to your soul. This is known as one of the most beautiful countries with some of the friendliest people. All these are true of this East African country, which often leaves visitors wondering where to visit during safaris in this country. There are over thousands of places you can visit in this country but our top picks are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park best for mountain gorilla treks, Murchison falls National Park for the World’s most powerful waterfalls and outstanding wildlife species, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee treks, Rwenzori Mountains National Park for unbeaten mountaineering experiences, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking, to mention but a few.