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Uganda
Promotion Commonwealth
Heads of About
Uganda Good
Vibes Uganda
Profile Africa's
Emerald Mountains
of the Moon Air
Travel |
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Powerfully pushing through thick jungle, the mountain
gorilla is fearless in the face of strangers on his
territory, but the endangered ape is unaware the family
group he guards survives by the thinnest of threads. The The forest in But it is the income from tourism that is helping protect
the animals, which in the past were regularly hunted for
their meat, and by farmers to protect their crops. "In order to protect this endangered specie we needed to
show the economic benefit of these "Tourism started as a way of showing the people that But the privilege comes at a high price , costing some
$600 (450 euros) for a single, brief visit. - No silver bullet - Knowing the cash supports the "We are willing to pay that kind of money because we know
that a big part of those resources are reinvested in the
preservation of the species," he said. "We also feel like
we’ve experienced something very exclusive." Threats to the mountain gorilla –- including war, habitat
destruction and disease –- were once thought to be so severe
that the species could become extinct by the end of the 20th
century, but the population has increased significantly in
the last 30 years, largely due to improved conservation
efforts. Uganda Wildlife
Education Centre (UWEC) At one time, the
Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) was caring
for 23 chimpanzees at the Entebbe facility. The
chimpanzees are brought to the Centre as a result
of confiscation from animal dealers or
poachers. Since then UWEC
and concerned citizens have been looking for a
suitable alternative for the orphaned chimpanzees
at the Centre. Uganda has approximately 3,000
chimps left in the wild. Many chimps fall victim of
poachers and infants are often sold into the pet
trade or smuggled to other countries to be used in
biomedical research, circuses, and entertainment.
In 1996, Ngamba
Island, 23 kilometre south-west of Entebbe on Lake
Vcitoria, came up for sale. This tropical
Island is composed of 100 acres of rainforest and
was found to have many species of food trees
suitable for chimps. It has taken over
two years to raise the funds needed for the island
purchase and construction of necessary
infrastructure on the island such as staff
accommodation, animal holding facilities and
visitor education buildings. The Jane Goodall
Institute, International fund for Animal Welfare,
Born Free Foundation, and Zoological Park Board of
New South Wales have joined with UWEC to help the
sanctuary become a reality. Now it's done: a
perfect sanctuary for chimps and a great place to
visit. Today, all twenty
chimps live in a cohesive community in their new
found freedom. About 10% of the island is reserved
for staff and visitors, set up as an eco-friendly
environment. Composting toilets, rainwater
collection, proper waste management practices and
solar energy for necessary power are used at the
sanctuary. The project is
working with local community groups on neighbouring
islands to work towards their needs. They will
benefit by improving sanitation and medical care
from funds raised at the sanctuary.The islands was
opened in April 1999 for visitors. You are invited
and most welcome to visit the island, it's an
excellent day trip. Contact Paul & Jane
Goldring in Entebbe gctours@imul.com or any other
tour operator in Uganda about details of hiring
boat transport and entrance fee. Your visit will
not only be a highlight on your safari, it will
also help us to care for the chimps. Uganda
Tourist Board Also:
Uganda-
Another Land Your guide to the
East African Great Lakes region |
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