Conservationists Want Apaa Market Closed for Illegally Operating in Protected Areas

Both NFA and UWA say that the market is located in the protected areas of Zoka Central Forest Reserve and the East Madi Wildlife Reserve and argue that it is threatening the two natural resources.

Roganeil Bongaus from Holland jetted into Uganda in June after he was forced to cancel his earlier travel last year when the country closed its borders. He says that there is a sense of safety with strict health measures put in place across the national parks he had visited so far.

The EAC Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management has now approved the EAC Regional COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Plan that seeks to revive the sector that has been badly hit by the pandemic.

The wildlife from the Kidepo Valley National Park strayed Wednesday and Thursday nights destroying the maize that was just ready for harvest. The destruction comes at a time when the region is struggling to cope with a threat of hunger and food insecurity where green belts such as Karenga, Kaabong, and parts of Kitido Nakapiripirit among others are the region’s food basket are also thrown into food loses due to prolonged drought and problem animal.

In the 2018 wildlife census, UWA registered 3,953 elephants in Queen Elizabeth national park up from 2,913 elephants in 2015. Today, this number has grown to over 4,000 elephants while buffalos whose figures stood at 1,500 before March are now above 1,700. The park also has more than 90 mammals and 600 bird species.

“Thankfully, unlike in the first lockdown when the airport was totally shutdown and numbers ground to a halt- this time, numbers are holding steady- with a slight hitch, evidence the sector can be regardless of a hostile environment,” says Ajarova. According to the Association of Uganda Tour Operators, AUTO, it will take long to recover to the previous industry figures.