An unusual gift from the UK of two lionesses was received in Uganda this week. The lionesses aged 11 months and three and a half years were donated by Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) in Entebbe. The lionesses will join a male lion at the centre. The younger lioness was rejected by her mother at five months whilst the elder lioness was born in South Africa.

The UWEC executive director, Dr. Andrew Seguya, hailed the arrival of the two lionesses saying they would boost the campaign to conserve lions. "Lions are one of the renown big five (animals) which face extinction. There are national parks in the country that were once known to be populated with lions, but they no longer have any lions," he said.

The lionesses will spend some time in quarantine at the centre before sharing their new home with the male lion.

(Original article by Steven Candia, The New Vision, 9th April 2009)

Comment -  UCF is well aware of the reduction in numbers of lions in the national parks of Uganda. The continued pressure on land and illegal grazing in the national parks by cattle farmers has led to conflict and incidences of poisoned cattle being left as bait for lions and other carnivors reducing further the declining population. UCF supports the Uganda Wildlife Authority in its work to prevent illegal activities and seeks to reduce conflict between humans and wildlife. Your donations will help this work.

A tonne of Ugandan ivory has been impounded in Bangkok, Thailand, the biggest seizure of illegal animal products from Uganda in recent years. The consignment is believed to have been cleared through Entebbe airport, Uganda and police are investigating.

Moses Mapesa, the head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, condemned the trade in ivory. 'We want the police to address the menace and the culprits apprehended. Over 10 elephants could have been killed to get the tonne of ivory, which he suspected came from the DR Congo'.

Elephants are an endangered species that will become extinct if nothing is done to control trade in trophies from their bodies. The trade was banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species after poachers reduced elephant population in Africa from 1.3 million in 1980 to just 600,000 in 1989. A kilogramme of ivory goes for $300 in China and the Far East, the biggest destinations.

(Gerald Tenywa, The New Vision, 24th March 2009)

Comment - Yet a further report of this kind reinforcing the need for UCF to continue supporting the Uganda Wildlife Authority in its work against illegal activities through its Waterways Project and to support the Elephant DNA Project. Your donations will help this work.

The war against ivory smuggling intensifies as Kenyan officials seize ivory products at Jomo Kenyatta International airport, Nairobi. A man is to be be charged with possession of a wildlife trophy without a permit. The back street value of the item is relatively small but the actual value is incalculable since an elephant was killed for the ivory to be extracted.

This arrest follows the stationing by Kenya Wildlife Service of sniffer dogs at the airport to detect contraband elephant tusks, rhino horns and weapons. Last month three other men were arrested after being found in possession of lions teeth, ivory bracelets and necklaces. One of those arrested was travelling from Uganda.

(www.savetheelephants.com, Febuary 13, 2009)

Comment - Continuing reports of this kind reinforces the need for UCF to support the Uganda Wildlife Authority in its work against illegal activities and to support the Elephant DNA project. Your donations will help this work.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has announced that a new mountain gorilla tracking site will open next month in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, bringing the total number of sites in which the endangered species can be seen to four. The new destination will be at Rushaga, in Kisoro district, where the 13 members of the Bitakura gorilla group have been habituated to human contact.

(Sunday Times UK, March 01, 2009)