UGANDA GORILLA CONSERVATION NEWS, MONDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER 2011

This is an emergency call to all stakeholders both local and international, to put their effort at any platform to protect and promote the remaining endangered mountain gorillas.   

The Uganda Wildlife Authority will in November launch two new gorilla families to increase the number of permits for gorilla tracking and visitors in order to boost revenue Collections.  

Dr Andrew Seguya, the UWA acting executive director, said Oruzogo and Kahungye, both in the Southern part of Bwindi National Park, will bring the number of habituated gorilla families available for tracking to eight.

Each family, according to Dr Seguya, is visited by eight people per day. The two new groups will therefore increase the number of gorilla tracking permits sold to track the gorgeous primates from 48 to 64 daily. The opening up of the new groups for visitors will follow the completion of their habituation programme.

Uganda is home to the biggest number of mountain gorillas with over 50 per cent of the primates left in the world living in Uganda. A gorilla tracking permit goes for $350 (about Shs962, 000) for foreign non-residents, $250 (about Shs687, 000) for foreign residents and Shs100, 000 for East Africans

Despite the endowment, much has remained unknown to the outside world due to limited funds to market and showcase the country's treasures and make it a destination of choice.

For instance, Uganda spends $330,000 (Shs907.4 million) on marketing tourism annually compared to Kenya which invests $23 million, $10 million for Tanzania and $5 million for Rwanda.

Dr Seguya was speaking at the Sustainable Tourism Media Awards 2011 dinner, which recognizes and rewards excellent media coverage of sustainable tourism.

KFM's Benjamin Jumbe was the winner in the Radio broadcast category, NTV's Craig Kadoda was chosen the best journalist in the television broadcast category while New Vision's Gerald Tenywa won the print media category. Daily Monitor was first runner-up for its role in promoting sustainable tourism.

Uganda is home to the biggest number of mountain gorillas with over 50 per cent of the primates left in the world living in Uganda. A gorilla tracking permit goes for $350 (about Shs962, 000) for foreign non-residents, $250 (about Shs687, 000) for foreign residents and Shs100, 000 for East Africans.

 
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