Who is attacking who?

Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is one of the biggest challenges to conservation and human settlement around Protected Areas. With peace now prevailing in Northern Uganda, after 20 years of conflict, thousands of people formally displaced by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency have returned to their ancestral villages from camps. However, hundreds of people have been forced back to the camps again as a result of elephant raids from the nearby Murchison Falls National Park.

As a fight-back, the residents have given the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) a one month ultimatum to drive the elephants back into the Park, saying failure to do so will lead them to kill the elephants. This is not a sustainable solution. It is important to understand the problem first and involve all the stakeholders concerned. Uganda has the one of the highest human population growth rate in the world which has had an implication on the wildlife. The increment in human population has resulted in encroachment of the protected areas and animal corridors to increase the area available for cultivation, resulting in conflict with the wild animals.

It is possible to live in harmony with wildlife. We at UCF focus on "mitigating Human Wildlife Conflict" - that is, stopping humans and elephants from killing each other. Simply put, if we can protect the humans, we can protect the wildlife.

From our experience in the Ishasha sector in southern Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, there is no single solution to mitigating HWC: a number of complementary measures are needed. For example, the excavation of elephant trenchesand erection of fences create a physical barrier which makes all the difference to the survival of both the human and elephant populations. The use of bees as a deterrent measure for elephants is under trial at the border with Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area.

A trench excavated in Kikarara, Ishasha sector - south of Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area with support from UCF	A fence erected in one of the valleys in Kihihi, Ishasha sector - south of Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area with support from UCF

Based on this success, Uganda Wildlife Authority has asked UCF to roll out the same solutions across Murchison Falls Protected Area in Northern Uganda. This can be achieved with your support by making a donation to UCF.