Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The history of gorilla trekking in Uganda tracks back to the early 1990s when the country was experiencing its first years of stability after close to three decades that were marked by unrest and military coups. Until now, the world has a vague image …
Read More »UWA worried about impact of gorilla permit fraud on tourism
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has asked media organizations to “exercise caution when reporting on allegations of fraud within the chimpanzee and gorilla booking system to prevent harm to the tourism sector and the country’s reputation.” This request comes in the wake of recent …
Read More »Tour operators fear business loss as UWA grapples with gorilla permit scandal
Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tour operators in Uganda fear they will lose business because of the scandal involving the illicit sale of gorilla tracking permits. The scandal, which recently came to light, has resulted in significant losses for the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), exceeding 11.2 billion Shillings (USD …
Read More »Uganda: Gorilla trekking and host communities’ welfare
FEATURE | THE INDEPENDENT | As human populations increase, so is the potential for conflict over living space and food with wildlife. This is the case for communities in Rubuguri and Nteko parishes in Kisoro District that border the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a home to the critically …
Read More »The journey of gorilla conservation in Africa
SPECIAL FEATURE | Gorilla mania is not a recent phenomena as you might think. A long succession of fascinating people have been caught in the spell of the mountain gorillas. The first scientist to study gorillas in the wild was Carl Akeley of American Museum of natural history. He journeyed to …
Read More »Understanding the Explore Uganda Brand
FEATURE | THE INDEPENDENT | The Pearl of Africa has been one of the underrated safari destinations in Africa partly because it has been living in the shadows of Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania for a long time. Most African safaris often rotate around wildlife, but, what happens when you have …
Read More »COVID-19: New protocol out to protect Uganda’s gorillas
Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Conservation organizations and the government of Uganda and Rwanda have adopted new guidelines to protect the mountain gorillas from catching the Covid-19 Virus. Under the guidance of the International Gorilla Conservation Program and Gorilla Friendly, updated gorilla trekking protocols have been issued to ensure …
Read More »Four rare mountain gorillas ‘killed by lightning’
Kampala, Uganda | AFP | Four endangered mountain gorillas, including three adult females, have been killed by an apparent lightning strike in a Ugandan national park, a conservation group has said. A post-mortem examination has been performed on the four, including a male infant, who died on February 3 in …
Read More »Charles Njonjo marks 100th birthday with visit to Uganda
Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenya’s former Attorney General Charles Njonjo started celebrations leading to his 100th birthday this week by tracking gorillas in Uganda at the weekend. The former flamboyant and powerful Attorney General of Kenya in the Jomo Kenyatta and early Daniel Arap Moi presidency, was at Mgahinga Gorilla …
Read More »High-stakes conflict threatens DR Congo gorillas
KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK, DR Congo | AFP | Aged almost 17 years, Bonane is an eastern lowland gorilla, a survivor in a critically endangered species reduced to about 250 members in DR Congo’s Kahuzi-Biega National Park. For an hour each day, the gorilla and his dozen-strong family host a handful of …
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