Lost in nature’s richness at Kyambura

A bird that does not fly will never know where the millet is ready, goes a local saying. If you have not visited the Kyambura Gorge and Kazinga Channel in western Uganda, you do not know how much you are missing.  Lawrence braved the six-hour journey and long trek in the valley and gives you a feel of the memorable adventure.

Part of the gorge through which a river flows, It is one of the most beautiful scenes in Kyambura.

As an artist, I have always thought of a woman’s body as God’s most beautiful creation. But that was before last month when I joined eight tourists on Nature Adventure Tours & Safaris that turned out to be the most exhilarating adventure at Kyambura Gorge and the Kazinga Channel.

Both are situated in the western Rift Valley of Uganda, which stretches through Queen Elizabeth National Park. At these two spots, I got the real feel of perfection in beauty.

We took an exhausting six-hour drive from Kampala along the Bushenyi-Kasese highway under the scorching African sun. After that, nothing sounded so sweet and relieving like the sound of “we’re finally here!’ as said in the husky voice of Samuel, our driver, who also doubled as our guide. We were 38km away from the Congo border.

One after another, we stepped out of the tour taxi setting our feet on the rich soils of Kyambura that was densely covered by dark green grass. Naturally, it was not long before most of us punched the air in triumph as we were fuelled by the excitement of having arrived safe and sound.

Mysterious Kyambura Gorge

Suddenly, our attention was stolen by the roaring sound of a waterfall. However, it was confusing to discover that even with all-round turns of 180 degrees, our eyes could not see any falls. It then dawned on us that the roar was coming from a river down in Kyambura Gorge.

From what I saw, I can define a gorge as a sunken forest in a wide valley. In the particular case of Kyambura, the valley was 100 metres deep, the reason our eyes could not sight the waterfall we were hearing.

Being the coward I am, I kept my distance from the gorge’s elevated viewpoint which was situated on the edge of the land.

But I guess I have little regrets over this decision because those who dared to go there seemed to develop cold feet immediately. They deserted the place as soon as Bayer Anyesiga, the Kyambura guide who would take us for chimpanzee tracking, appeared.

Chimp tracking is one of those activities that Uganda is famous for and it was something I looked forward to doing.

However, the fact that Anyesiga armed himself with a panga before the tracking began almost made me reconsider trying it out. To me, this was a clear signal that ahead of us lay immense danger.

Luckily, 10 minutes into the tracking, I discovered that his only reason for carrying the panga was to trim off the branches of the wild thickets to open a path on our way into the dense forest.

That is when my speedily pounding heart normalised as I took a deep sigh. My gaze kept dropping on every tree branch we approached because my heart was quivering with immense anticipation.

To see the subtle primates, we calculatedly walked down the slippery slopes into the dense tropical rainforest that covers the gorge’s floor. Anyesiga advised us to resort to whispering if we found it impossible to keep mute because the primates often turn violent if their peace is disturbed with noise.

Save for the roar of Kyambura River and the tweeting of crickets, it was absolute silence down there, probably more silent than a grave.

When all my attention was inclined upwards, having heard the sound of a chimp, I felt a smooth creature as cold as a snake slither up my legs. In micro seconds, my knees began wobbling dangerously and I found myself yelling my grandmother’s name.

In a flash, I was already three feet up the huge mahogany tree before me, only to discover that it was a prank that Otim, another tourist, had pulled off.

He had come up with the brilliant idea of sliding a wet shoe lace around my legs and got the effect he was looking for.

Yes, I felt like sinking my fist into his head. In fact, I folded my fists like I was going to knock him down, but my fists just froze in space before I painfully chickened out because the chap was almost three times my height and weight.

Chimp sighting

Minutes after I had composed myself, the guide pointed us to a family of five chimps nestled in a tree branch about 180m from our track.

“That is Brutus, the leader of the chimps with his family,” Anyesiga explained. “They are part of over 25 chimpanzees that live here.”

It should not matter, but there was something about the way Brutus tilted his eyes sideways and flashed a smile at us that I found fascinating.

“Brutus, together with his team, prefers living in the corridors of the gorge in fear of being confronted by other wildlife like leopards and lions, which live on the Savanna grassland surrounding the gorge,” Anyesiga continued.

It soon dawned on me that there is a lot more to see in the gorge than just chimpanzees. Such included gigantic tropical trees, beautiful flowers, unique chains of spider webs, a variety of birds, colourful butterflies and different species of monkeys.

Fortunately, everything about the tracking was happening so fast. While I expected to spend hours walking and straining to see the chimps in vain, here I was getting a better feel of the forest with every tick of the clock.

I was also swept off my feet by the rays of sunlight that filtered through the forest canopy. In effect, my camera clicked more than once as it took pictures to retain memories of the visit to the unforgettable gorge.

Content with what we had witnessed, we soon found our way out of the forest and headed for our next destination — Kazinga Channel, a 30-minute drive away.

Kazinga Channel

After a brief by our guide, whose name I might have forgotten as soon as it was mentioned, the tour boat was ignited to flag off our trip along Kazinga Channel to the mouth of Lake Edward.

On the map of Uganda, Kazinga Channel is that thin strip of water that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. As the boat made its way through the tranquil channel, I climbed up the upper deck, joining nine tourists there to get a clearer view of the wildlife on either side of the boat.

Birds and game

We espied a kingfisher that had successfully hunted out a medium sized tilapia fish, which it swiftly ferried onto the nearest branch of a whistling acacia tree by the water banks.

What a pity it was to witness the helpless fish poked lifeless like it was its predator’s last meal for months.

Thankfully, it was not long before my spirits were fired up again upon the sight of elephants mating in the open as some white egrets kept flying above them. If my guess is right, they must have enjoyed every bit of the uncensored act by the elephants.

It was also a blessing to discover that while some tourists spend hours and hours peering in vain for game, we were fortunate to experience lots of wildlife after another, especially along the banks as the boat sailed on; all courtesy of the good schedule of the boat ride, which takes place at 5:00pm when most animals are relaxing by the banks as they enjoy the warmth of the golden brown sun as it buries itself in the horizon.

Some of the game to be seen here include water bucks, elephants, antelopes, a school of 12 hippos, crocodiles, birds and monkeys.

Like most of the bird lovers aboard, I cheered aloud as I relished over 150 bird species of 319 in the park. However, this excitement was soon tamed when an ugly black and white vulture flew slightly above my head and dropped its watery droppings on my nose.

Fellow tourists could not resist laughing at me and staring like I was another wildlife creature aboard the boat. Most annoying, some did not hesitate to click their cameras at me.

At the end of such a fulfilling exploratory day, nothing felt as good as devouring lunch at Simba Safari camp. We watched the calm waters of Lake George and listened to waves gently brush the branches of the trees surrounding the place

The icing on the cake was the different species of birds that soon conquered these trees and put up energetic aerobic performances as they whistled different sweet melodies that pierced my heart with the sharp end of their vocals.

Oil drilling in Murchison delta and the blurred future of wildlife and tourism

 MPs visited oil sites in 2012 and the resource was a major subject of debate in Parliament and in the media.  

A shoebill is often described as an ugly, shy and rare bird. Ugly as it may look, it is one of the most sought after birds in the Murchison Falls National Game Park, by tourists.

Tour guides in the Murchison Delta tell stories of how foreign tourists camp in the jungles for days, longing to have a look at the bird, which the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies as threatened and vulnerable.

And now in the heart of the park, oil exploration activities by the French giant Total E&P are afoot and whatever the future holds for the “ugly” bird is up to the government and the oil company to decide.

None of the two players rule out the fact that oil activities in the Delta will affect wildlife and eventually tourism.

A power point presentation leaked from Tullow but shared among the three partners, Total, Cnooc and Tullow, shows that drilling oil from Murchison Park has potential implications on wildlife and tourism.

“All development options have potential implications for the biodiversity given that many of the locations… are the last refuge of important species,” the document reads in part.

After the 2011 farm down, Total took over the running of the Murchison Park oil wells in Exploration Area 1A, a place with the highest quantity of crude oil– 1.5 billion barrels northwards– according to the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department.

However, it is the same place that the Ministry of Tourism, Uganda Tourism Sector Situational Assessment report, describes as the wildlife rich delta.

On top of the rare shoebills, the 48 Sq Km delta is home to Rothschild giraffes whose presence in Murchison currently supports the less than 10 per cent of their global population.

The African Bird club also put Murchison Falls National Park in ninth position among the top 10 birding sites on the continent, facts that render the delta a critical habitat.

Total’s corporate affairs manager, Ahlem Friga-Noy, says the company accepted the challenge of working in such a sensitive area on the basis of trying to pro-actively create a project that demonstrates how oil can be extracted while respecting the environment and the ecosystem.

Uganda Wildlife Authority’s [UWA] spokesperson, Lillian Nsubuga, downplays the impact Total’s activities will on the have on Murchison Park saying, the company “occupies only 48 of the over 5,000 square kilometres”.

However, she acknowledged that UWA is aware of the damage the oil activities will cause to the delta.

“We will lose the spectacular nature of that area in terms of tourism but the animals will not die,” she says. “We know we will lose a prime area in the delta.”

Tourism dilemma

The Ministry of Tourism Annual performance report 2012 notes that the exploration of oil remains a challenge due to the impact it poses to the environment and the concerns of the tourists who expect a pristine wilderness.

Producing oil and at the same time keeping an inflow of tourists and fully protecting the environment has been described by government environment officials as a shot at having the best of two worlds eating one’s cake and at the same time having it.

“With or without animals in the parks, oil exploration must carry on because it’s another economic activity the country is interested in,” Dr Tom Okurut, the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) executive director says.

According to Okurut, oil companies should be “saved from the (environment and tourism) debate” because they were contracted by the government for strictly business and cannot be held accountable (for any damages).

Although oil, a finite resource, currently promises to bring in over $50b (Shs129t) in income over a period of approximately 20 years, the tourism sector, according to the Ministry of Tourism figures, brings in not less than Shs10b each financial year.

According to 2011 estimates, more than a million tourists visited Uganda, bringing in $805m (Shs2.1t) in foreign exchange, the country’s biggest forex earner by a large margin. As a result, the Lonely Planet travel guide company named Uganda the “top tourist destination for 2012”.
Further, it is no secret that Uganda’s Albertine Graben where the oil and gas resources are found, is the most species-rich eco-region for vertebrates in Africa.
The 2010 state of the environment report shows that the Graben has 39 per cent of Africa’s mammal species, 51 per cent bird species, 19 per cent amphibian species, and 14 per cent plant and reptile species.
Mr Godber Tumushabe, the executive director of Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (Acode) cautions that the government should not forsake tourism and the safety of animals because of oil “whose profits we have not even seen yet.”
“It is a huge problem indeed which needs urgent redress and I guess the relevant stakeholders like UWA and Tourism can realise it at this stage,” he says.
However, Nema’s spokesperson, Naomi Karekaho, says oil development in the park was permitted so that the government leverages on sustainable economic development.
“You can’t achieve economic development without utilisation of the natural resources. Oil is not something we can keep without using because we want to keep the animals alive,” she said.
Even with two field officers expected to monitor and ensure that Total adheres to the set guidelines, a number that civil society organisations have said is too small, inexperienced and ineffective, Ms Karekaho says, Nema still has an upper hand in ensuring that the oil company doesn’t harm the environment.
“There has not been any accident as far as the environment is concerned,” she says. “Those people are trained enough and they work with the district environment people… even the demands of the current activities do not demand more people.”
The ball is in Total and government’s court
Dr Alastair McNeilage, the Uganda Country Director of Wildlife Conservation Society, an international organization working with Total on how to minimize the impact of the company’s activities on the wildlife says that what government and the oil company have done so far is small compared to what lies ahead of them.
Oil exploration and production, he says, will proceed without skirmishes only if Total and the government agencies involved are committed to making sure that they mitigate the impacts of their oil activities.
“At this stage it is difficult to say that they [government and Total] will or will not protect the environment but they have to show the interest that they will take the environment serious.
“We are not saying that there will be no impact whatsoever but it’s only when the real action starts that we will see whether they are willing to protect the environment or not.”
UWA and the other agencies must first study animal behaviours, because it will help them understand the dynamics of these animals since the entire parks cannot be gazetted in a single day or year.
If that is not done, the animals, because of the chemicals and the noise in the drilling process, will relocate to seek new livelihood in a safer place.
“They may end up in the neighbouring Congo,” Mr Andrew Baraza, the Water Governance Institute Director says. Now that the government badly wants the oil project to proceed, it must compel Total to adopt advanced technologies while drilling.
This might also be hard since most oil companies go for the cheapest and cost effective methods so as to maximise profits.
Ms Friga-Noy says Total, which is currently doing seismic studies in the delta in preparation for more drilling, has put tracking systems in all vehicles to ensure drivers don’t go beyond the speed limits so as to scare animals and to avoid main tracks during peaks hours.
“When we think the risk of involving in an area is too high we will avoid that area. “If we can’t avoid, we will try to minimise our involvement and also consider offset any residual damage that may come up,” Total promises.
Mr Baraza also acknowledges that the government is indeed caught up in a tight position. “What is needed is a balance,” he says. “Most of measures and legislations in place were short term that would not solve any wildlife problems.”
Ms Nsubuga says UWA is insisting on oil companies using the newest technologies because it will make the authority’s work easier but the authority’s lack of trained personnel– who know what to look out for in the field- makes the authority more vulnerable.
In 2012, Nema issued environment management guidelines to all oil companies including Total. However, as Total notes in one of its communiques, the guidelines, which are up to today still in draft form do not include requirements for activities conducted inside of Protected Areas.
From the explanations of both government and Total, it is evident that neither has a clear idea about the impact drilling in the Murchison Delta will have on the wildlife and tourism and as McNeilage suggests, the two have got to look carefully and assess carefully what the impact might be and act appropriately.

For Uganda tours it takes 15 minutes drive to see chimps in Ngamba islands Tourism

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.

Rwanda elephants not endangered, says Wildlife Conservation Society

Rwanda has not recorded a decline of elephants in the past few years, Telesphore Ngoga, the acting Conservation Division Manager at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), has said.

Ngoga was reacting to a study published in the scientific journal by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), recently. The report says elephant numbers have decreased by 62 per cent across Central Africa over the last 10 years.

It was released during the 2013 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, currently underway in Bangkok, Thailand.

“We haven’t encountered any major decline in the last 10 years, instead the population of elephants is increasing. In Akagera National Park, we have about 100 elephants, which live in protected areas,” Ngoga said.

“We no longer have challenges of poaching in Rwanda, although we lost five elephants in 2011 and 2012, two were killed by poachers, one was electrocuted by the park’s fence while the rest died of natural death,” he added.

Ngoga, however, said they have put in place an anti-poaching team that oversees wildlife monitoring patrols in the parks.

“We are planning a census for wild animals soon and that is when we will be able to determine the exact number of elephants in the country,” he said.

Findings from the study indicate that large areas in Central African countries, which were elephant habitats 10 years ago, now have few of the animals remaining.

The survey was carried out in forests in Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Gabon and Congo Brazzaville.

In Rwanda, elephants are found in Akagera National Park in Eastern Province and Volcanoes National Park in Northern Province.

Call for conservation

Prosper Uwingeli, the chief warden at Volcanoes National Park, said the number of elephants in the park is close to 50.

“It is very difficult to know the exact figure, because they move around Greater Virunga Massif. We haven’t seen cases of elephant poaching in Volcanoes National Park,” he said.

The Virunga Massif cuts across three countries; Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo. The study includes the work of more than 60 scientists between 2002 and 2011.

“Saving the species requires a coordinated global effort in the countries where elephants occur, along the ivory smuggling routes, and at the final destination in the Far East. We don’t have much time before elephants are gone,” says the report’s lead author, Dr Fiona Maisels from WCS.

Conservationists called for immediate action to protect the remaining elephant populations.

Last year, Rwanda’s tourism sector generated $281.8m (about Rwf178b) compared to $251.3m (about Rwf159b) in 2011, according to the 2012 Tourism Report.