The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) in collaboration with the National Forestry Authority (NFA) is initiating a project to establish four new Wildlife Education Centres in Uganda.
These centers will be strategically located in Mbarara, Mbale, Gulu, and Kyenjojo, with the NFA allocating 60 hectares of land in forest reserves for each site. The main goal of this endeavor is to promote eco-tourism, facilitate wildlife research, and enhance biodiversity conservation.
James Musinguzi, the Executive Director of UWEC, expressed that these centers aim to extend conservation knowledge to remote areas, support wildlife research, and contribute to biodiversity conservation. Each facility will have a distinct assortment of animals and comprehensive facilities for education, research, and community engagement.
For instance, plans include placing felines in Mbale, primates in Mbarara, and reptiles in Kyenjojo. However, the final allocation of animals will be based on scientific research to ensure optimal management and research outcomes.
Funding for the construction of these facilities is a significant challenge, with each center requiring up to 22 billion Shillings. UWEC has earmarked 5.1 billion Shillings for initial work on the Mbale center this year. Despite the financial hurdle, both UWEC and NFA are committed to the project and are open to partnerships with conservation-minded entities.
Tom Obong, the Executive Director of NFA, stated that this initiative aligns with their strategy to diversify the functions of forest reserves while maintaining their core purpose of conservation. The proposed centers are not expected to hinder ongoing conservation efforts; rather, they are anticipated to aid in restoring natural forest cover in areas currently populated by exotic trees.
The partnership outlines an initial operational period of five years, after which licenses spanning 25 to 50 years may be granted. UWEC will oversee the management of these centers; and the generated revenue will be shared. Obong highlighted that the chosen locations were selected due to their designation as gazetted cities, possessing both sufficient population and financial capacity to support the centers.
In addition to these new centers, Uganda presently has a single wildlife education center known as the Entebbe Zoo. Initially established to care for sick, injured, orphaned, and illegally rescued wild animals, this center currently houses around 253 animals.
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