The world is believed to habour 880
primates, but 400 are confirmed to be located in Uganda forests.Tourists
will find it easier to track gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
after the ministry of Tourism and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA),
announced an increase in the primate’s population. According to UWA, the latest
census found that there was an increment by 60 gorillas to 340 counted in the
last one in 2006.
This brings the gorilla population
in Bwindi to 400 in addition to the 80 primates found on the Ugandan side of
Virunga Massif. The latest findings ranked Uganda highest in the world as far
as gorilla population is concerned.
There is a considerable increase in
the mountain gorilla population in Bwindi following a three-week census that
was carried out in the park in September and October 2011.
The population of mountain gorillas
in Uganda has been confirmed to stand at a minimum of 400. The census was
carried out by UWA - Uganda Wildlife Authority with assistance from the
International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), the Institute for the
Conservation of Nature (ICCN) in Democratic Republic of Congo and RDB from
Rwanda.
There were 36 gorilla families at
Bwindi and 16 solitary males. Of the 36 families, 10 are habituated for tourism
and research. Following the two censuses carried out in the Virunga Massif and
in Bwindi in 2011, it was confirmed that the world’s population of mountain
gorillas now stands at 880.
The 2010 results showed that there
were 480 mountain gorillas at Virunga Massif, which comprises the Mgahinga
Gorilla National Park (Uganda), Volcanoes National Park in (Rwanda) and Virunga
National Park (DRC). The 400 gorillas which were confirmed are entirely in Uganda
and this means that Uganda is the host to more than a half of the world’s
population of mountain gorillas.
Increase in the population of
mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is evident in the sound
natural resources management policies that are being implemented in the
protected areas.
The increase in the number of
gorillas at Bwindi could be attributed to the insurgency in the DR Congo.
However, Bwindi is detached from Virunga Massif where Uganda, Congo and Rwanda
share 480 gorillas, with Uganda having 80 of the 480. Therefore, this makes
Uganda the highest gorilla breeding place and home.
Paul Okia
Happy Tours Africa
No comments:
Post a Comment