The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), French National Museum of History and Makerere University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for research and conservation of chimpanzees in Kibale National park.
Uganda Wildlife Authority
The research will focus on chimpanzee behavior, health and ecology. Uganda has more than 50 per cent of the world’s chimpanzee species and the sector contributes over eight per cent to Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product.
However, chimpanzees are facing extinction as they have a two per cent mortality rate annually. Snares set up by humans to trap wild animals for game meat are the greatest danger to chimpanzees. More than 40 per cent chimpanzees are mutilated by snares in Kibale National Park.
Encroachment
Encroachers on the national park have also destroyed habitat for the chimpanzees forcing them to flee to un-gazzeted places. Speaking at the signing ceremony of the MoU, the acting Executive Director UWA, Dr Andrew Seguya, said politics have failed to yield results in the conservation process and research was the only solution left.
“I can assure [you] that if we conserve the chimpanzees, we have thorough research, you will never see a Ugandan going to Europe to look at chimpanzees,” he said.
Dr Seguya said under the partnership, a research facility would be established in Kibale to study the biological diversity of the threatened chimpanzees, its habitat and tropical forests.
Dr. Sabrini Krief, who has carried out research on chimpanzees for the past nine years, said chimpanzees carry out self-medication and may not fall victim to human-like infections such as malaria.
The outgoing Vice Chancellor- Makerere University, Prof. Venansious Baryamureeba, who signed the MoU on behalf of the institution, said empowering tourism agencies with information and research was the solution to conserving chimpanzees.
He said the university would engage more in private-public partnerships in support of conservation efforts.
Prof. Giles Boef represented the French National Museum for History in signing the agreement. Uganda was ranked the top tourism destination in 2012 by Lonely Planet, a travel guide website. However, the country still lags behind in investments and research in the tourism sector.