Going to see chimpanzees
and the hundreds of bird
species in Ngamba islands will now take just 15 minutes from Kajjansi
outside Kampala, thanks to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on
Tuesday.
The MoU between Kajjansi Aero Club (Fly Uganda) and the
Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT) will see Fly
Uganda carry tourists to the Lake
Victoria island famed for its chimpanzee conservation, as well as the
monitor lizard and abundant bird species.
The chopper bought from the Japanese Police Force about
three years ago will also help promote the other tourist features of the island
that include sport fishing and community tourism.
The helicopter carries a maximum of four passengers and a
return trip will cost $980 for four full packages, including access to the
island.
The island has until now been serviced by boats and motorized
vessels only, for a journey that takes an average of 40 minutes. By boat, it
costs $80 per person for a minimum of four passengers for foreign tourists and
$60 for East Africans.
“This is a natural extension to get more tourists to Ngamba
islands,” said Russell Barnes, the director of Fly Uganda at the signing in
Kajjansi. A trial flight has reportedly already been done with chimps reacting
positively by coming over to watch the chopper. Barnes said the longer tourists
stay in Uganda, the more money they spend and have a better experience “and the
more they can talk positively about the country.”
Lilly Ajarova, the executive director of CSWCT, said Ngamba
highlands houses rescued chimpanzees from areas that they were endangered. She
cited West Africa, where the chimpanzee is already extinct in four states.
“Most of their mothers were killed and were brought as
babies. Some were brought back from Europe after being traced back to Uganda.
There has to be a deliberate move to see they continue surviving,” said
Ajarova.
The sanctuary receives 4,000 international tourists
annually. “It is a destination promoting Uganda because tourists include a lot
of other destinations,” said Ajarova.
She explained that a monitoring system has been instituted
to check any negative drastic effect of the chopper on the chimpanzees,
although the test flight showed there is none so far.
“There have been inquiries for quicker (transport) mean to
the islands, this will also provide a chance for medical evacuation,” said
Ajarova.
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