BBC’s “Spy in the Wild” series meets Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas. Diary of a Muzungu interviews Uganda’s premier vet Dr Gladys about the making of the documentary.
I recently received a wonderful press article from my correspondent in the UK – a.k.a. my dad! – who is always on the look-out for stories about Uganda and East Africa in the British press.
I wanted to know more about this thrilling project here in Uganda and contacted Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). Dr Gladys has become “one of the world’s leading conservationists and scientists working to save the critically endangered mountain gorillas of East Africa.”
The Muzungu: Which mountain gorilla family did the animatronic gorilla meet?
Dr Gladys: The Rushegura gorilla group is the family that is shown looking into the spy camera. However, they filmed other gorilla groups as well.
The Muzungu: In what way were you personally involved?
Dr Gladys: I was the lead scientist they consulted when filming “Spy Gorilla.” I accompanied the crew filming the mountain gorillas together with our team from Conservation Through Public Health, after obtaining permission from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, who also joined in the filming.
The Muzungu: How did you hear about this project?
Dr Gladys: Matt Gordon from John Downer Productions contacted me after getting a referral from a fellow National Geographic Explorer called Dr. Jill Pruetz. She was the lead scientist JDP consulted as she had hosted them when they filmed “Spy Chimpanzee” in the first series of “Spy in the Wild” at her study site in Senegal where Savannah Chimpanzees are found.
The Muzungu: What
do you hope to learn from this project?
Dr Gladys: I hoped to add to my knowledge about gorilla behaviour because the spy cameras are able to non-intrusively capture close-up images of gorillas without having to get close to them. The spy cameras can record never before seen behaviour that will help us to protect mountain gorillas better and ultimately inspire viewers to conserve them.
The Muzungu: How
many hours of filming took place for the film crew to get the one-hour show
about Bwindi’s gorillas?
Dr Gladys: It took them ten days to film the documentary.
On location in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest filming “Spy in the wild” for the BBC. Pictured are Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda Wildlife Authority and the crew from John Downer Productions
The Muzungu: Are there any plans for this kind of project to be repeated in Bwindi?
Dr Gladys: Most likely not, because the film crew got a lot of information and it took a lot of time, money and resources to capture this rare footage
The Muzungu: What is your feeling about the gorillas’
reaction to the animatronic gorilla?
Dr Gladys: We were first a bit apprehensive about how the gorillas would react. I also made sure that the spy gorilla was disinfected adequately to prevent any potential disease transmission. With the UWA and CTPH team, we were pleased to see that the gorillas were curious about the animatronic gorilla that looked like them, and the infants tried to play with it. It was fascinating to see that the gorillas were intelligent enough to discover that though the spy gorilla looked like them, it was not a real gorilla, but were still protective over it. The Spy Gorilla camera brought out their personalities as curious and accommodating gentle giants.
Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka handling the animatronic gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. “Spy in the wild” for the BBCOn location in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest filming “Spy in the wild” for the BBC. Pictured are Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda Wildlife Authority and the crew from John Downer Productions
About the BBC’s “Spy in the Wild” series
“Spy in the Wild is back in one of the most innovative natural history series ever presented. This time it deploys over 50 ultra-realistic animatronic Spy Creatures to go undercover across every region of the world. The 4 x 60 minute BBC One series captures some of the most extraordinary animal behaviour ever seen, filmed from inside the animal world.
Using special state-of-the-art 4k resolution “Spy Creatures” the viewer is plunged into the very heart of the extraordinary lives of over 40 remarkable animals. They reveal previously unseen behaviour as animals gather, feed, fight and breed in among some of the greatest wildlife gatherings ever witnessed. This team of hyper-real Spy Creatures not only look like the animals they film, they behave like them too. Accepted by the families, these robotic look-alikes can not only film from an intimate perspective they also interact with the animals and so gain revelatory insights into their worlds.” Learn more about the Spy in the Wild series.
A big thank you to Dr Gladys for sharing her story with Diary of a Muzungu and to Papa Nagawa for being my eyes and ears on the ground in the UK.
… And before you go, check out this adorable face again! 🙂
“Spy in the Wild” is a BBC series. This animatronic mountain gorilla was filmed in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
“On Sunday June 23, five critically endangered Eastern Black Rhinoceroses, born and bred in European zoo environments, will be flown 6,000 km to Akagera National Park in Rwanda. This is the largest ever translocation of rhinos from Europe to Africa.
This historic journey will begin at Safari Park Dvůr Králové (Czech Republic) where all five animals have been gathered since November 2018.
Map showing Black Rhino transfer from Europe to Akagera National Park in Rwanda #rhinostorwanda
While their flight departs on Sunday June 23rd, their journey began years ago, through EAZA’s vision to supplement wild populations in secure parks in Africa with genetically-robust individuals who have been successfully bred and cared for over the years by the EAZA Ex Situ Programme (EEP).
This is a unique collaboration between the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), the Government of Rwanda and conservation NGO African Parks.
Fewer than 5,000 wild black rhinos and only 1,000 Eastern Black Rhinos remain in Africa; and their future is severely threatened by poaching for the illegal demand for their horns. This translocation project represents an urgent and valuable opportunity to expand the range and protection of the black rhino, and demonstrate how captive rhinos can help supplement and repopulate wild populations within secure landscapes.
Three female and two male black rhinos, ranging between two to nine years old, were chosen. Jasiri, Jasmina and Manny were born in Safari Park Dvůr Králové (Czech Republic); Olmoti comes from Flamingo Land (United Kingdom) and Mandela is from Ree Park Safari (Denmark). The rhinos are being donated to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the government body that manages Akagera National Park, the rhino’s new home in Rwanda, in partnership with African Parks.
All five rhinos have undergone months of sensitisation to prepare them and minimise stress to ensure the safest journey possible. During the voyage, which will be approximately 30 hours long, they will be inside custom-made crates, and fed and watered regularly. Experienced zookeepers from the Safari Park Dvůr Králové as well as veterinarian Dr. Pete Morkel, a world expert in rhino translocations, will accompany and monitor the rhinos throughout the entire trip, as well as their release into the Park.
“By undertaking a highly supervised and well-planned gradual acclimation process, we believe these rhinos will adapt well to their new environment in Rwanda. They will first be kept in bomas – enclosures made by wooden poles. Later, they will enjoy larger enclosures in a specially protected area. The final step will be to release them into the northern part of the national park where they will roam free,“ said Přemysl Rabas, Director of Safari Park Dvůr Králové.
What a beautiful creature! Back where it belongs, an Eastern Black Rhino, Akagera National Park, Rwanda. PHOTO RDB
Akagera National Park is an ideal destination for the reintroduction of the animals.
Rhinos were first reintroduced in 2017 – a decade after they were last seen in the country. In that year, African Parks successfully translocated 18 Eastern black rhinos from South Africa to Akagera in collaboration with RDB and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The translocation entailed a 2,485-mile journey. This success is testament to both the potential of the park to sustain a rhino population, but also to the high levels of security and effective park management. You can read more about that translocation on the African Parks website.
This video is from 2017.
Since 2010, the Park has undergone a revival with poaching practically eliminated, allowing for key species to be reintroduced. In 2015 lions were reintroduced and have since tripled in number [see photo below]. Strong community conservation efforts have resulted in tremendous support for the Park, and tourism is now leading to Akagera being 80% self-financing, generating US $2 million a year, which goes back to the Park and surrounding communities.
“We have been preparing for this moment for years and are excited to build on our efforts to revitalize the Park with the RDB and the successful introduction of the first round of rhinos in 2017,“ said Jes Gruner, Park Manager of Akagera National Park. “This transport of five rhinos from Europe is historic and symbolic, and shows what is possible when dedicated partners collaborate to help protect and restore a truly endangered species.”
These conditions also will allow for the ongoing study of the five animals from Europe and the existing population as they gradually integrate to contribute to a stable population of black rhinoceros in East Africa. The Park is a key component of the Government of Rwanda’s strategy to foster economic growth while providing a secure future for wildlife in the country.
“The translocation of five rhinos from European zoos to Rwanda will further enhance the natural ecosystem in Akagera National Park. This partnership with our European friends is a testament to Rwanda’s commitment to conservation. Today, poaching is almost non-existent in our four national parks and we are confident that these rhinos will thrive in their natural habitat in Akagera. They are a positive addition to Akagera, a Park where tourists can now visit the African Big Five,” said Clare Akamanzi, Chief Executive Officer, RDB.
The Rwanda Development Board is responsible for ensuring that the tourism and conservation goals of the Government of Rwanda are successfully implemented.
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria comprises more than 400 zoos, aquariums and other institutions across 48 countries, collaborating for the advancement of conservation, research and education. EAZA Ex Situ Programmes is responsible for the planning and administration of over 200 programmes.
Safari Park Dvůr Králové is one of the best rhino breeders outside of Africa. So far, 46 black rhinos have been born there and the park coordinates efforts to save the northern white rhino. The park assists with conservation of rhinos, even in the wild. In 2014 and 2017, the park organized public burnings of rhino horn stockpiles to raise awareness of the plight of rhinos.
The Akagera Management Company (AMC) is a public-private partnership between RDB and African Parks and has been responsible for fully managing Akagera National Park since 2010. African Parks manages 15 national parks and protected areas covering over 10.5 million hectares in Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia.”
Akagera is almost unrecognisable today from what it had become 20 years ago when it seemed destined to be lost forever. While peace was finally restored after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis, Akagera’s demise was just starting. Refugees returning to Rwanda after the genocide were battling to survive. Forests were cut for timber and the park’s savannah became home to tens of thousands of long-horned cattle that displaced wildlife. Rhinos disappeared and lions were hunted to local extinction. The park’s value was “diminished to the point of not existing at all.” This makes Akagera’s revival even more remarkable.
Three lions crouched in the long grass next to the track and watched us. What a highlight of our Akagera safari
To be honest, I didn’t expect to see a lot of wildlife when I first went on safari to Akagera National Park three years ago (working in conservation in Uganda may have spoiled me!) I was therefore thrilled beyond words to see a leopard (just a few metres from us). Later we spent half an hour in the company of three young lions, offspring of the first lions reintroduced to the park.
Every safari in Akagera is more interesting than the first – I can’t wait to revisit!
Tanzania bans plastic carrier bags – travellers take note!
Visitors to Tanzania should take note that the government has just announced the banning of plastic carrier bags, meaning you risk having them confiscated when you land in the country. The ban takes effect 1 June 2019.
The letter reads:
“Visitors to Tanzania are advised to avoid carrying plastic carrier bags or packing plastic carrier bags or items in plastic carrier bags in the suitcase or hand luggage before embarking on visits to Tanzania. Special desk will be designated at all entry points for surrender of plastic carrier bags the visitors may be bringing to Tanzania.
Plastic carrier items known as Ziploc bags that are specifically used to carry toiletries will be permitted as they are expected to remain in the permanent possession of visitors and are not expected to be disposed in the country.”
Tanzania plastic carrier bag ban from 1 June 2019
“The government expects that, in appreciation of the imperative to protect the environment and keep our country clean and beautiful, our visitors will accept minor inconveniencies resulting from the plastic bags ban,” said a statement from the Vice President’s Office.
This is a good development for environmental protection in Tanzania. Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda all have similar laws banning the use of single use plastic bags or ‘cavera’. Enforcement however differs across the region. In Uganda, the plastic bags were first banned in 2009.
Rwanda is particularly strict on enforcing this ban and does indeed remove any carrier bags found on visitors travelling to the country. (I know, it’s happened to me). Kenya too is reporting success in removing the bags from circulation but in Uganda implementation is hit and miss. One excuse I heard is that all the alternative (cloth) bags have “been exported to Kenya because they need them!” What is Uganda doing about this? We are handing out plastic carrier bags again! Let’s hope Tanzania implements the law strictly and serves as a better example.
The BBC’s latest big budget wildlife affair is with the Earth’s Great Rivers, specifically the Amazon, the Mississippi and my personal favourite, the Nile.
Last week the muzungu was very happy to find the BBC’s Nile series was literally in full flow. As a shot of the world’s longest river came into view, I recognised the outline of the derelict buildings of Pakuba Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park.
The team made quite a few surprising discoveries thanks to some undercover filming!
Here’s why you should watch the whole programme (on IPlayer if you’re in the UK):
“For a river that conjures up images of pyramids and pharaohs, the Nile turns out to be a truly surprising river that changes at every twist and turn of its journey. As it flows into increasingly arid latitudes on its journey north it becomes an evermore vital lifeline for animals and people, but only if they can conquer the challenges that this ever-changing river throws at them. The Nile’s story begins in a spectacular, tropical mountain range – the Rwenzoris. Streams plunge from these snowy peaks creating wetlands on the plains below. Here they create a mobile water garden of papyrus reeds, home to one of the world’s strangest birds – a shoebill stork. Though beautiful, clumps of reeds break up and float around creating a challenging environment for would-be fishermen. A stork’s best way of finding prey is to form a rather strange alliance – wily shoebills follow hippos whose great bulk opens up fishing channels for them.
Shoebill, River Nile Delta, Murchison Falls. Wild Frontiers. Photo Allan Ssenyonga
The Nile’s headwaters create huge lakes in the equatorial heart of Africa – everything here is on a vast scale, especially Lake Victoria which is the size of Ireland. Here vast swarms of lakeflies sweep across its waters on a biblical scale, providing an unexpected feast for local people who trap the insects to make ‘fly burgers’. It is not just Lake Victoria’s immense size which makes it so dramatic. The vast lake has only a single exit channel of ferocious white water – the aptly named White Nile. People come from around the globe to tackle the rapids here which are some of the most powerful and infamous in the world. A local heroine, Amina Tayona (a mum from a nearby village) is brave enough to ride them. Amina has learnt to kayak on these treacherous rapids – and now competes against international athletes.
The next stage of the Nile’s great journey are the wild Savannah lands of Uganda and the awesome spectacle of one the world’s most powerful waterfalls, Murchison Falls. Here, valiant crocodile mothers try to defend their nest against hungry predators. Even though they are such fearsome predators – crocodiles have a weakness which other animals exploit. Watch as cunning Nile monitor lizards try to outwit an increasingly desperate Nile crocodile mother who faces a terrible dilemma. Further downstream is the setting for one of the episode’s most surprising stories. Filmed for the first time using the latest camera-trap technology, cameras reveal strange goings-on at the abandoned country home of infamous and exiled dictator, Idi Amin. Its ruins – in Pakuba in northern Murchison Falls National Park] – are attracting new, wild guests. Many of Africa’s big predators make their home here today.
It would seem the River Nile was higher in 2010 when my dad inspected the Devil’s Cauldron. Top of Murchison Falls
In South Sudan, the Nile river slows and spreads out transforming into a huge wetland – the Sudd (Arabic for barrier). Half of its water is lost due to evaporation here and this is before the river embarks on its epic crossing of the Sahara – a desert the size of China. Every year, the dwindling Nile receives a massive, timely injection of water far to the east. In the Ethiopian highlands, the Nile’s greatest tributary – the Blue Nile – is swelled by the wet season creating some of the most turbulent and dramatic seasonal waterfalls on Earth and forming a spectacular gorge which is nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon.
A warthog family was caught on camera by the BBC in the ruins of an old building
The Blue Nile is a river revered and used in a variety of incredible ways – from mass baptism ceremonies in the ancient Ethiopian city of Gondar to colonies of cheeky weaver birds who use the riverbank’s reeds to build intricate nests. The Blue Nile replenishes the main Nile channel at the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum, the two become one and embark on the epic crossing of the Sahara. The miracle of the Nile is that it has allowed great civilisations to thrive in a desolate and arid region – today and throughout history. From the exotic city of Cairo, to the glories of ancient Egypt, breathtaking photography reveals the extent of the Nile’s power to transport water from one part of world and deliver it to another, building and supporting life.”
ruins of original Pakuba Lodge Murchison Falls Uganda
The last time I visited Pakuba was in 2013 when approximately 70 of us stayed at the (new) Pakuba Lodge. We were in the area to view Uganda’s solar eclipse, a mind-blowing experience that I will treasure forever. I remember Simon Peter, the charming Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger, visiting each tent to reassure us that he would “protect us from leopards and scorpions!” I had heard a rumour of the leopard living in the ruins of the original Pakuba Lodge (but it was the first time I’d heard talk of scorpions in Uganda).
If you ever get the chance to see a solar eclipse JUST GO! This photo was taken from Pokwero near Pakwach in 2013
“Brutal dictator’s home is now a wildlife haven” says the BBC. Although Pakuba Lodge was not President Idi Amin’s home, it was said to have been his favourite hideaway. Pakuba Lodge was one of the original Uganda Hotels chain. (The first Uganda Hotel was built in 1923 and still stands in Masindi). In the 1970’s Idi Amin turned Pakuba into a ‘State Lodge’, for his personal enjoyment. Note to self: isn’t it interesting how a president from a bygone era continues to be the only thing many people associate with Uganda? Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979, a staggering four decades ago.
Murchison Falls is one of Uganda’s prime safari destinations and I LOVE how wildlife populations are recovering – in this case taking back the derelict buildings of Pakuba Lodge. To read more about the River Nile at Murchison and its fantastic birdlife, read “Stirring up magic at the Devil’s Cauldron.”
I recently bumped into conservationist Constantino Tessarin, Chairman of the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest, and realised it was about time I wrote about the Bugoma Forest project. You may have read about it in the newspaper. Here’s some background information about the project and details on how you can get involved in the campaign to #SaveBugomaForest.
Where is Bugoma Forest? And why is it important?
Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest launches private patrols in Bugoma Forest
Bugoma Central Forest Reserve is 410 sq km of Protected Area, comprising a stretch of forest measuring 40 km. In terms of biodiversity importance, Bugoma was rated number 12 out of 65 Ugandan forests surveyed. Bugoma is the largest remaining block of forest along the Albertine Rift Valley between Budongo (Murchison Falls Conservation Area) in the North and the Semliki Reserve to the South.
Map of Bugoma Forest, Hoima District Uganda
267 species of trees, 18 mammals and 278 butterflies have been recorded in Bugoma Forest. Primates are abundant, with a population of 580 chimpanzees; however, these primates are endangered as their migratory wildlife corridors between Bugoma and Budongo are disappearing. Bugoma Forest has a large number of black and white Colobus monkeys, Ugandan Mangabey, Red-tailed monkeys (Nagawa’s totem!) and Blue monkeys. The Ugandan mangabey is only believed to be present in Bugoma, as it has become extinct in other forests in the region. Bugoma is also home to a small population of forest elephants, golden cats and side-striped jackals. The forest is a birding sanctuary, with 221 birds species recorded. Bugoma forest is therefore a big potential tourist destination on the Rift Valley circuit, yet one of Uganda’s forgotten treasures.
Black and white Colobus monkey. PHOTO Andy Gooch
#SaveBugomaForest Introducing the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest
The aim of the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest (ACBF) is to conserve Bugoma Forest and the chimpanzees in Hoima District by changing the current trend of deforestation in both protected forest and private land. ACBF was established in 2014.
Since 2016 in particular, there has been rampant escalation in illegal logging of hardwood timber (Mahogany), illegal cattle grazing (which has lead to burning extensions of forest for pasture) and huge encroachment into the protected areas for agriculture.
“Our forest cleared” – the boundaries of Bugoma Forest photographed in 2014. Whether protected area or private land, the threat to wildlife from deforestation and implications for climate change and reduced water catchment are real
Illegal timber, Bugoma Forest, Hoima District
Bugoma Forest came into the media spotlight last year when a sugar investor (Hoima Sugar Works) started to clear part of the forest to make way for a sugarcane plantation, claiming that it had received the land title from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom. Fortunately, the intervention of the Ugandan government blocked that plan.
What is the Chimp T-RAP Project?
Earlier this year, ACBF launched its first private patrol to help National Forest Authority in monitoring and curbing illegal activities in Bugoma Forest. Through the Chimp T-RAP Project, a team of five people are paid by the Association to provide regular patrols, and therefore intelligence, which is already bringing positive results in reducing illegal activities in the forest.
The Chimp T-RAP team make regular patrols of Bugoma Forest
The Association is also fully committed to give legal support to these and any other people working in conservation who face violent intimidation by the illegal logger community.
Another ongoing ACBF project is the public nursery bed in Kabwoya, Hoima District. ACBF provides seedlings of indigenous and tropical trees to institutions and farmers who are interested in signing up to extend their tree cover for the purpose of agroforestry and protection of water sources.
Tree seedlings are available from the public nursery bed in Kabwoya, Hoima District
Can you spare a few shillings to help protect Bugoma Forest? 50,000 UGX is one week’s salary for a member of the patrol team that protects the forest. (That’s approx $12)
We LOVE trees! We NEED trees! Let’s support the Association for Conservation of Bugoma
To learn more about the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest, visit the ACBF blog. Keep uptodate with their activities via their Facebook page. The threats to Bugoma are real. Read the latest comments on this page!
Chinese in Uganda: tourism opportunities and conservation threats
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Sandra Rwese, a brilliant Ugandan entrepreneur who I first heard speak at a Nature Uganda public talk in Kampala. Sandra gave us an introduction to Chinese culture, the opportunities – and threats – that this new market poses to tourism and conservation in Uganda. Her insights are fascinating!
Sandra Rwese, Chinese tourism in Uganda marketing expert
Sandra Rwese is a bilingual tourism expert with many years research experience in China’s outbound tourism landscape. In 2012 she won the Silver Prize for Product Innovation during the prestigious CTW Awards in Beijing. She writes:
“Travel is my religion, and Asia is one of the most fascinating places l happened to explore during my many travels. Having spent time living and studying in mainland China and Hong Kong, l decided to relocate back to Kampala in 2014. I saw a niche in Sino-Africa travel connections and immediately went about launching my tourism consulting firm Gulu & Hirst (G&H).
It took infinite persistence trying to market my advisory services in Uganda – in a country where CEOs prefer to wait until the absolute last minute before reacting to fresh business ideas. I remember once waiting three hours in a reception hall for a brief chance to meet one leading tourism stakeholder. Such is the journey towards promoting China’s USD 422 billion consumer potential to Uganda’s tourism fraternity.
Part of my consulting includes pushing for ecological conservation and, with each public lecture or sales training session, l never miss an opportunity to caution my audiences on the environmental ramifications of mass travel from China. Yes the Chinese have big money to spend overseas, lots of it. But their high propensity for eating arthropods and game meat could come at a higher cost to Uganda’s plant and animal species than we imagined. We simply cannot afford mass Chinese arrivals in groups as large as 200 per flight.
HEADLINE December 2016: Chinese Officials Seize Record-Breaking Pangolin Haul From Poachers. PHOTO: A pangolin carries its baby at a Bali zoo, Indonesia (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Customs officers stand guard over seized pangolin scales at a port in Shanghai (Photo: AFP/CCTV)
Chinese tourists are fearless and have gained ill-repute in almost every country so far. Nothing is off limits. Not even rampant trafficking of cheetah hides, donkey meat, lion bones, ivory, sandalwood, albino crocodiles, butterflies, pangolins, sea turtles, and rare national treasures. In my analysis, Uganda’s only hope in upholding species protection rights is by forming legally binding partnerships with travel agents and institutions sending visitors from China. So that their groups are fewer and contained.
New Zealand is doing just that i.e. partnering with travel agents, universities, and FITs (Free Independent Travelers) in China to bring controlled tour groups. This closes the loop on traffickers who often sneak in on individual tourist visas. I see a win-win situation for Uganda if only this matter is taken as a matter of urgency; especially with new waves of Chinese migrants setting up tour companies right here and ferrying in travellers whose origins are anyone’s guess.
Sandra Rwese and a Chinese colleague. Sandra is an expert in marketing Chinese tourism to Uganda
The second strategy would be to use Chinese social media campaigns to promote responsible tourism. Community outreach is critical and netizens must be alerted to Uganda’ laws against poaching and wildlife plunder. G&H is moving in this very direction towards RenRen, Sina Weibo, WeChat, Qzone and other popular social apps to convey Uganda’s conservation mantra to the 136 million Chinese planning annual trips abroad. We can successfully build #BrandUganda on such social platforms within China by spreading the message that “Uganda is not for sale.”
Thank you Sandra for some illuminating words and practical advice about the Chinese in Uganda and Africa.
Listen to Sandra being interviewed by Eric Olander on The China Africa Project debating the question
“Chinese tourist arrivals in Africa are up, so why aren’t African travel companies more excited?”
This weekend sees a historic conservation event: the burning of the biggest ever number of elephant tusks and rhino horn.
This week Uganda stands shoulder to shoulder with our conservation and tourism friends and colleagues across Africa who are meeting in Kenya to address the ivory poaching crisis.
Lone elephant in Amboseli National Park in front of Mt Kilimanjaro
Conservation and tourism are inextricably linked. Protecting elephant, rhino, gorillas and other animals means we are protecting jobs; we are providing a sustainable income, and access to education, to remote communities. Poaching for ivory or bushmeat may provide a few shillings or dollars to poachers cum subsistence farmers but the long-term benefits of ecotourism – through the long-term protection and survival of key species – are simply worth far more.
This is why we say elephants, rhinos – and even gorillas, chimpanzees and other animals – are worth more alive.
“If no Elephant ever complained about the weight of their tusks. Why take them off?” #WorthMoreAlive Kenya Wildlife Service
The drivers for poaching, the international networks that fund wildlife crime are the same, regardless of the country or the animal at risk. That is why we must work together, across borders.
“Why it makes sense to burn #elephant and #rhino #ivory stockpiles”
On 30 April Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will set fire to over 105 tonnes of ivory in Nairobi National Park. This is the biggest ever burning of ivory.
“By burning almost its entire ivory stockpile, Kenya is sending out the message that it will never benefit from illegal ivory captured from poachers or seized in transit. However, as the day of the burn approaches, commentators and experts have been lining up to condemn it. Some of the objections put forward are based on wrong assumptions; some deserve serious consideration.”
Operation Shoebill: first-hand experience of Uganda’s Big Birding Day annual 24 hour bird race at Mabamba Bay
So why precisely have I got up well before dawn – on a Saturday – to drive for three hours in a cramped minibus to sit in an old boat?
Reason enough to get up very early indeed on a Saturday – what a bird: the Shoebill. Big Birding Day Uganda. PHOTO Ronan Donovan and Wild Frontiers Uganda www.wildfrontiers.co.ug
It’s that time of year again: Uganda’s annual Big Birding Day, a 24-hour contest in which birders compete to see who can rack up the score for the highest number of bird species. The early bird catches the worm… or so they say. (This silly early bird didn’t even remember to catch breakfast, and now I’m sitting hungry in the middle of a huge swamp, miles from anywhere … oh damn you and your insatiable Muzungu appetite for cappuccino…)
On the shores of Lake Victoria about 50 km west of Kampala lie the vast swamps of Mabamba, one of Uganda’s few remaining swamps that are protected by the local communities.
Classified as an Important Bird Area, Mabamba Bay is home to Uganda’s most famous bird: the iconic Shoebill.
Operation Shoebill: first-hand experience of Uganda’s Big Birding Day 24 hour race at Mabamba Bay. PHOTO Charlotte Beauvoisin
Would our Big Birding Day team get lucky and see a Shoebill at Mabamba Bay?
A couple of rickety-looking boats greet us on the edge of Mabamba Swamp. With giggles of excitement, the team’s boats head off into the Papyrus.
Pair of Grey Crowned Cranes. Uganda’s Big Birding Day 24 hour race
A pair of Grey Crowned Cranes (referred to locally in Uganda as Crested Cranes) fly overhead. It’s like a statement: you have officially landed in Uganda’s wetlands. The fabulous Crested Crane adorns Uganda’s national coat of arms and makes its home in the wetlands (or what is left of them).
Our boats are surrounded by vibrant green, dotted with shimmering, purple water lilies, the cool morning mist rising from the crystal-clear waters.
A vibrant blue and orange Malachite Kingfisher poses delicately on a Papyrus stem as our boat pushes through the vegetation.
I spot a Northern Brown-throated Weaver (pale brown with an orange beak) at the base of some reeds. (I can’t say I know exactly what it is, but I’m the first to spot it! You don’t need to be an expert to take part in Big Birding Day; just quickly point out the moving blocks of colour to your more knowledgeable teammates).
The narrow waterways cutting through the swamp allow one, maximum two, narrow boats to pass. Travelling in a low-lying boat means you are at eye-level with so many of the birds at the water’s edge. It’s magic.
Purple Waterlillies contrast beautifully with the abundant lush greenery of the swamp. Uganda’s Big Birding Day. PHOTO Kaj Ostergaard
The narrow labyrinth of channels opens out into a wide freshwater lagoon.
We spot a Yellow-billed Duck in flight, a Squacco Heron amongst the reeds, and several Long-toed Lapwings, just a number of the iconic wetland birds you can see at Mabamba.
As our Shoebill comes into sight, everyone in the boat stands up (precariously tipping the boat to one side of course!)
Shoebill Stork, Mabamba Swamp. Big Birding Day. PHOTO Nick Sausen
The dark grey, funny-looking character stands an impressive five feet tall and stares back at us. A cross between a Stork and a Pelican, this prehistoric-looking bird dines on a menu of lungfish and frogs. Oh yum!(Mabamba is one of many places in Uganda you can see the Shoebill, but arguably the most accessible since it’s a short hop from Entebbe or Kampala. The excellent, mid-range Nkima Forest Lodge is just a few minutes from Mabamba Bay).
A pair of magnificent Blue-breasted Bee-eaters entertain us, while the Shoebill looks on, seriously, just ten or so metres from our boat. The Shoebill moves his head from side to side as our Mabamba guide educates us about this fascinating bird. There are just two or three pairs of Shoebills breeding in Mabamba, all under the watchful eye of the local community.
We look in vain for the Lesser Jacana, to the disappointment of our guide, who has a mental checklist of the birds he has hoped to record for Big Birding Day. Mabamba birds we do spot include Pink-backed Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, African Fish Eagle, Purple Swamphen, Giant Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher and Weynn’s Weaver.
Pied Kingfisher poses on Papyrus, Mabamba Swamp. Big Birding Day
There is no protection from the sun when you are out on the open water. Cue: return to land, for a soda and a chapatti from the local snack stall. Refreshed, and with the Big Birding Day clock ticking, the competitive streak kicks in and the Big Birding Day team marches uphill towards some tall trees. En route we add a Fan-tailed Widowbird to our list.
Leaving Mabamba is a series of smaller Papyrus Swamps where we see locally occurring ‘endemic species’ such as the striking Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler and Carruther’s Cisticcola.
Our tiny country is home to over 1000 bird species, almost 50% of Africa’s bird species. In addition to the 1000+ resident species, millions of birds migrate across Ugandan skies en route to summer alternately in South Africa and Europe.
Every year families, conservationists and the tourism industry come together to celebrate Uganda’s Big Birding Day, a series of fun conservation events celebrating birds. Young or old, an amateur or a professional ‘twitcher,’ Big Birding Day has something for everyone.
With a score of 114 species identified by the end of Big Birding Day 2013, our Mabamba team ranked a decent 9th out of 73 teams participating nationwide.
Be part of something BIG – Big Birding Day Uganda: a 24 hour birding contest across the country
How can you take part in Big Birding Day?
Expert bird guides from NatureUganda, Uganda Wildlife Authority staff and Uganda Bird Guides Club lead participants in the main event, a 24-hour bird watching contest. Big Birding Day includes free guided nature walks at dozens of sites across Uganda. Uganda Wildlife Authority provide free entry to the country’s National Parks, Wildlife and Forest Reserves on Big Birding Day (provided you register in advance).
Uganda’s National Anthem – A plea to Ugandans from Meronie Agaba
Uganda Conservation Foundation’s Map of Uganda. Anti-poaching and human wildlife conflict projects with the Uganda Wildlife Authority in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks
In recent weeks, Uganda has been alive with talk about the perceived need to ‘jazz-up’ the country’s National Anthem. “Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty” was adopted in 1962 with words and music composed by George Wilberforce Kakoma.
Coincidentally, Meronie Agaba recently sent me her “Love letter to Motherland Uganda” – her interpretation of the National Anthem’s meaning and a plea to Ugandans to reconnect with their common heritage.
Background to Uganda’s National Anthem debate
Tourism Minister Maria Mutagamba announced that Ugandan playwright Alex Mukulu was in charge of a project worth about 180 m Uganda shillings ($75,000). The Minister explained that the objective was not to change the anthem but to portray its message in drama as a tool for promoting Uganda and to help an increasingly-indifferent Ugandan public identify with their mother country.
This project has polarised debate, with many Ugandans totally against any messing around with what they consider a sacred song. According to Uganda’s Observer newspaper“This whole obsession with aesthetics seems to speak to the hankerings of more impressionable youth that prize form over substance. Uganda’s national anthem is not terribly wanting, and the country has more pressing needs on which it could spend Shs 180 m.”
Meronie Agaba: “This tribute is my love letter to motherland Uganda.”
Pair of Cape Buffalo in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. Spot the Oxpeckers on their backs, cleaning the animals of ticks!
Oh Uganda my motherland
May God uphold thee
As we lay our future into thy hands
Through prayer and repentance, staying on our knees,
With our hands lifted up to the king of kings, God almighty
Committing ourselves, our nation, to you
A handsome Uganda Kob poses for the camera in Murchison Falls National Park
That you oh God shall give us a Vision
To acknowledge that blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
For Unity, Freedom, and Liberty we stand
Together as one, committed to serve our Motherland
Crested Crane, the emblem of Uganda. PHOTO Andy Gooch
Interview with Meronie Agaba
The Muzungu: What made you decide to write this poem?
Meronie Agaba: I have a deep passion for my country and humanity at large. If I was a singer I could compose love songs for Uganda!
The spark to write this poem came when the late Kakoma, composer of the Uganda National Anthem, passed on. Others wrote eulogies to him in the newspapers, but I had no access to that audience so I went back to the National Anthem and read it again and again, trying to find out what message he actually wanted to put forward for Ugandans. As I did this, I got a deeper sense and understanding of the anthem and came to appreciate it almost as a living piece of writing since its messages actually portray what Uganda is today. I got my pen and paper and wrote the poem, which I would say came out as a deeper interpretation of the National Anthem.
The Muzungu: So what is your view on the current debate about changing Uganda’s National Anthem?
Meronie: I am against changing the National Anthem. I would rather the National Anthem is interpreted to the people so that Ugandans can relate with it more. The intention of the poem is to reveal the message underlying the Uganda National anthem.
The Muzungu: What are you hoping to achieve with this poem?
Meronie Agaba: I believe that for any relationship to develop and grow, deliberate efforts have to be taken. I want this poem to be a tool that I and others who believe in it can use to inspire, and develop attitudes of young Ugandans to appreciate their country, their role in upholding its pride, conserving nature and more. I want this poem to be a “Love song that every Ugandan can passionately sing for our Motherland.”
The Muzungu: What would you like people to think about when they read your poem?
Meronie Agaba: “Do not take my Motherland for granted! One time she conceived me, she nurtured me in her womb, I fed on her blood, and behold she delivered me. She was still young, green and energetic; she was fertile. Despite the many children, she fed them all, on the green plantain, the milk and the honey. The lakes and rivers that fed her were still fresh and clean. The tree canopies towered above my head; the scent of nature was still abundant, the soils were not yet sick. The wild fruit was still at large, foraging children returned to their homes satisfied, fed by none other but the plentiful Motherland. Now Mother Land is old and faded, the rivers are drying up, the swamps have become people’s living rooms, the tree canopies are bare stumps and the clean breath of nature is gone.
But I cry for a remedy, I say it’s not all over my children. Let’s amend our relationship, let’s reason together, stop killing your lifeline, I am Mother Land, do not hurt me, do not plot against me, do not strip me naked, respect my God-given Status, I am Mother Land!
When I cry you will cry along with me, when I smile you smile along with me! You are educated yes, I do appreciate that, but get some learning I say; I am your Motherland. Be united; you share a common heritage, Conserve nature and environment; without it you will die,
I am your Motherland, without you I would be a forest, but without me you would be homeless!
I am your Motherland, I am your hope, I am your future: I am Uganda!
Meronie on a boat trip on the River Nile in Murchison Falls National Park enjoying Uganda’s natural beauty
Namara Meronie B. Agaba mnagaba gmail dot com is a Business Development Manager based in Kampala. She is married with children. (No doubt Meron has been talking conservation with her husband Patrick, who I worked with at the Uganda Conservation Foundation for nearly 3 years.
Meronie’s love letter to motherland Uganda was first published in the February 2013 edition of “Tarehe Sita Magazine.”
So what do you think of Meronie’s poem Love letter to Motherland Uganda? Please put your comments below.
If you like her poem please share it on Facebook and elsewhere!
Do you have a story or some advice you’d like to share? Please read the Muzungu’s Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
Save the Nile. Help us Save Adventure Tourism in Uganda
Access denied. If the Isimba Dam is constructed at its current proposed height, the rapids will be flooded and Uganda’s world class Grade 5 white water rafting will be consigned to history forever. Please help us get this decision changed! Photo Nile River Explorers.
The situation regarding the Isimba Hydro Power Project on the River Nile below Jinja has reached a critical stage!
In the next few weeks The World Bank, and Uganda’s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) will decide on the final size and scale of the Hydro Power Project. Will they authorize a smaller version of the dam? Or will they break an international agreement between the World Bank and the Government of Uganda to conserve this beautiful stretch of white water, and protect the booming adventure tourism industry and thousands of local jobs?
This decision is going on largely behind closed doors but we need to let the World Bank know that protecting the river and the Ugandan tourism industry is IMPORTANT TO YOU!
Background to the project
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is planning to construct a hydro dam on the Nile at Isimba Falls, 50 km downstream from Jinja. The new dam will create a large reservoir of around 28 km² submerging the white water rapids on this section of the River Nile.
When the Bujagali Dam (hydroelectric power plant) was constructed, the World Bank and the Government of Uganda signed the Kalangala Offset Agreement. This binding agreement is supposed to protect specific, downstream sections of the River Nile free of construction of new dams and also protect the integrity of Mabira Forest.
Back in the day… posing for photos at Bujagali Falls, Jinja, 2010 #SavetheNile
According to Professor Wolfgang Thome, “any change of heart by the World Bank would amount to a fundamental breach of confidence and trust between the Bank and Uganda’s tourism fraternity.”
After the rapids at Bujagali were flooded, the rafting and kayaking companies moved activities downstream – below the dam – at significant expense. What will happen this time?
What impact will a new dam have?
This exceptional stretch of white water is famous worldwide. It is safe and warm; its consistent flows allow access to the river activities throughout the year, bringing tens of thousands of people to Uganda annually. A booming industry has been built around the white water and Jinja is regarded as the ‘adventure capital of East Africa.’ A large number of thriving businesses have grown around the central river adventure tourism activities: hotels, restaurants, taxi companies, boda boda drivers and shops.
An estimated 50,000 people take part in adventure activities every year around Jinja; many of whom would not travel to Uganda were it not for the amazing rapids.
If the Isimba Falls Project goes ahead in its current form, it will be a MASSIVE economic blow to Jinja. An independent study on the impact of the Isimba Hydro Project lists over 200 tourism related companies that will be affected. The vast majority are owned and run by Ugandans; collectively they employ thousands of Ugandans in long term, well-paid jobs.
Although “Isimba dam to create 3,000 jobs” – apparently – these are only temporary: constructing the dam.
Although different options for the size and scale of the Isimba dam were proposed, the decision has already been made to go with the largest scale option, the one that will destroy tourism.
The smaller dam option offers a balance of: much needed extra power for Uganda, while allowing adventure tourism to continue to flourish and expand, driving development forwards in the Jinja region.
You can also help by sharing this post and information – thank you! #conservation #Uganda #Nile #savetheNile#saveadventuretourisminUganda
Save the Nile. You can help!
Please email and/or write to your local World Bank representative, wherever you are in the world, and let them know that you are concerned about this issue!
Please send them a letter and write them an email expressing your concerns. A template for the email/letter is below, which we suggest you modify to make it more personal:
Dear (ENTER REPRESENTATIVE’S NAME),
Representative for the World Bank in (ENTER YOUR HOME COUNTRY / REGION).
I am writing as a concerned citizen of (ENTER YOUR COUNTRY) about a serious issue in Uganda, which directly concerns The World Bank.
As a mitigation measure for the (World Bank backed) Bujagali Hydro Power Project, a conservation agreement called the Kalagala Offset Agreement was formed. The agreement between the World Bank and the Government of Uganda was put in place to protect the remaining stretch of rapids and river banks in the same region, for the sake of minimizing impact on the environment, the local people and eco tourism which flourishes in the area. Now, the Isimba Hydro Power Project will flood a significant portion of this conservation area – thus breaking this agreement.
Isimba HPP is funded by the Chinese government, and due to be constructed by a Chinese construction firm, both of whom seem unconcerned that a conservation area is due to be flooded. I am urging The World Bank to act on behalf of the thousands of Ugandans due to be negatively effected, as well as the environment, and the tourism that generates large amounts of income in an otherwise under developed region. Fifteen thousand people, including 12,000 Ugandans from the immediate area, have signed a petition demanding the agreement be upheld and a smaller version of the Isimba HPP to be constructed (which would leave the conservation area unaffected).
Please stand up to China and the Ugandan government and uphold the agreement that is laid out by The World Bank to protect the stretch of river due to be flooded.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
(ENTER NAME)
How else can I help #SavetheNile?
Like and share the ‘Save Adventure Tourism in Uganda’ Facebook page
Forward this message to anyone that can help raise awareness.
Please write to your World Bank representative TODAY about the Isimba Falls hydro power (dam) project – this is the most constructive way you can help.
You can also help by sharing this post and information – thank you!
Similar in size to Great Britain, Uganda’s unique geographical positioning in the Great Rift Valley makes the country home for an astonishing 50% of Africa’s birds. Diverse habitats such as open savannah, montane and Equatorial rainforests, rivers, marshlands, fresh water and crater lakes combine to give Uganda an enviable bird list of over 1,060 species!
Uganda boasts an incredible 34 Important Bird Areas (IBAs), sites of global conservation importance, not just for birds but for mammals, fish, reptiles and insects. 22 IBAs are within the national protected areas and all twelve of Uganda’s Ramsar sites (internationally protected wetlands) are IBAs.
If you like birds – like I do! – then you will just LOVE Uganda! I’ve met many people who had never really noticed birds until they came here – and returned to Europe ‘birding converts.’
Birdwatching Uganda. Identifying a Sunbird – not always easy, even when an expert has a bird guidebook!
Here are a few of my favourite birding moments:
A forest wakes up (AKA birdwatching my way through lockdown on the edge of Kibale Forest) is dedicated to the hornbills, turacos, barbets, starlings and monkeys I see from my wooden house on the edge of the forest.
Shoebill, Murchison Falls National Park Uganda. Photo Ronan Donovan
A day in the life … species by species. Uganda may not have the same change of seasons as Europe (but the insects don’t know that). I watch the seaons change in Uganda through the medium of entymology.
A bird’s eye view of Uganda – Big Birding Day Up before dawn to take part in the Big Birding Day, a 24 hour birding race covering 33 sites across Uganda. Our team recorded 606 species! And the best bit? Our team won!
For three years I was part of the volunteer team helping make Big Birding Day even BIGGER! To tie in with this event and the country’s 50 years of independence, Africa on the Blog published my article on how birding tourism can be used to help develop Uganda and support poor rural communities. Read “Birding@50” – Save Uganda’s Beautiful Crested Crane.
Dillon eyes up a spectacular Klaas’ Cuckoo, Kibale Forest bird ringing, Sunbird Hill
Incredibly rich in animal life, Kibale Forest is a place of many firsts for me. Even after three years working in conservation, Mother Nature had still been holding back on me: this particular Kibale Forest trip I saw my first wild chimp, my first Red Colobus Monkey, my first Green Mamba! But these were all unexpected bonuses – we’d actually traveled to Kibale Forest to ring birds.
Look up! Urban birding Kampala-style is the Muzungu’s view from Long Crested Towers – my home in Bukasa. Kampala is a dusty, polluted city of 2 million inhabitants. Yet, with over 300 bird species, the city is still a birder’s dream …
Populations of the 11 species of African vulture have declined considerably. In A disgusting day out I took part in NatureUganda’s annual vulture count – and a gory tour of the very smelly outdoor Busega fish factory and the formidable Kalerwe Abattoir, on the look-out for Hooded Vultures, Pied Crows, Brown Kites and Marabou Storks.
Hammerkop and large numbers of Marabou Storks overseeing the fish processing near Nateete, Kampala
Birdwatching Uganda. A birding muzungu at Sipi Falls, eastern Uganda
A birding Safari here in my backyard is one of my favourite birding walks, from Namuwongo in Kampala down to Port Bell on Lake Victoria. Baldrick was so tired, we had to drag him home! It was a great day for my growing bird list though so do check it out!
Roger and Nathan bird watching on Entebbe Peninsula. Big Birding Day 2010 – the year our team won!
I’m part of the volunteer team helping make Big Birding Day even Bigger!
These are just a few of my many Uganda birding stories.
Do you like birdwatching? If you’re planning a trip to Uganda, check out the tour operators in my Travel Directory or drop me a line for some personal recommendations.
It was with great excitement that I travelled to Rwanda to attend the Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony. This event is strictly by invitation only so the Muzungu was honoured to be invited by the Rwanda Development Board, thanks to my friends at The Gorilla Organization (TGO), a British charity whose dedicated international team pull out all the stops to protect the Mountain Gorillas in their native forest habitats straddling the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As we drove uphill towards the Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony website, the roads were lined with children and young people all walking in the same direction, eager to see the pop stars descending on Kinigi for the ‘Festival of the Gorillas.’
A magical place indeed. The volcanic peaks of the Virungas, approaching the site of Kwita Izina, Festival of the Gorillas
We sat in the ubiquitous white plastic seats and waited for the show to begin. Every few minutes there was an excited cry from the crowd as another celebrity joined the throng. All we could see was a sea of black heads, just visible above the safety barrier. The kids were gathered for the pop stars of course – there was a huge cheer as popular singer Rastaman arrived – we only hoped they would leave the gorilla naming ceremony as conservationists too.
Kwita Izina is hugely popular with local children gorillas Rwanda
One thing is for sure, one way or another, the majority of these young people will benefit from the gorilla tourism industry, the flagship product for Rwandese tourism. Five per cent of the revenue from tourism is invested in communities living around Rwanda’s national parks. This investment is helping change behaviours, changing once-poachers into protectors of the gorillas and wildlife and habitats in general.
Children flocked to take part in the Festival of the Gorillas
The Rwandese Prime Minister welcomed “ambassadors, friends of Rwanda and distinguished guests – and not forgetting the very important residents of Musanze” to Kwita Izina 2013.
Half of Kigali, representatives from Nairobi, Kampala and 61 journalists from across the world made their way to this small town in the Land of a Thousand Hills for the ninth annual conservation celebration. Not a bad show for a small country the size of Wales.
A smiling Rwanda Development Board ranger welcomed us to Kwita Izina 2013
Traditional dancing from Rwanda’s National Ballet was a delight. Kwita Izina 2013
Traditional dancing from Rwanda’s National Ballet was a delight. Reggae artists Dr Claude and King James went down like a house on fire! I was happy to get on my feet and dance by then. Goodness knows the foothills of the volcanoes are a lot cooler than Kampala. The Muzungu should have worn socks!
Jillian threw a Gorilla Organization frisbee into the expectant crowd of festival goers. Did she get it back…?
The lady MC reminded us that “while we are here to celebrate Rwanda’s gorillas, you can see how much more Rwanda has to offer.” Well organised, professional and a fun day out, I was very impressed by the whole setup and the global ambition of this event.
Audience participation is a key feature of Kwita Izina. Amongst the international celebrities invited to name the gorillas were the American actor Isaiah Washington; the Japanese Ambassador to Rwanda; actors from Nigeria and the Netherlands; the economist Jeffrey Sachs and Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization, Dr. Taleb Rifai. You can watch the highlights of the 2013 Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony here.
Each gorilla was named, in English and in Kinyarwanda, to claps and murmurs of approval from the audience. The first baby gorilla to be named was Icyamamare Maktub or ‘Rising Star.’ I liked the name Isimbi ‘Shining Pearl’ said to “represent the shining light of Africa: Rwanda. We look forward to shining the light on tourism in Rwanda.”
Emmanuel, looking very cool in his traditional costume, was honoured to name a gorilla at Kwita Izina 2009
The Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony is an opportunity to publicly thank the conservationists closest to protecting these great apes.
In 2009, The Gorilla Organization’s Rwanda Programme Manager Emmanuel was invited to name one of the gorillas.
The Gorilla Organization’s Jillian Miller at Kwita Izina 2009 – looking very glam in her Kwita Izina attire
In 2009, the UN Year of the Gorilla, The Gorilla Organization’s Executive Director Jillian Miller and Ian Redmond O.B.E. (Ambassador for Year of the Gorilla and now Chairman of TGO) were invited to take part in the gorilla naming ceremony. Jillian’s gorilla was named ‘Everlasting’. Ian’s gorilla was named Umuganda meaning ‘working together.’ You can watch Ian Redmond’s UN Year of the Gorilla speech at Kwita Izina here.
Putting on the traditional costume and being part of the show sounded great fun!
Ian Redmond O.B.E. Chairman of The Gorilla Organization at Kwita Izina 2013 with Allison Hanes of Art of Conservation
Audience participation is not just reserved for the celebrities: everyone was handed a sheet showing photos of the new baby gorillas, so we could write down the new names as they were read out.
The printed photos and list of new baby gorillas make the event fun and educational. Kwita Izina 2013 Rwanda. (Can you read the Muzungu’s handwriting?)
“It’s a bit like playing bingo!” Jillian joked.
The Kinyrwanda gorilla name ‘Ubukerarugendo’ translates as ‘the early travellers – who woke up early to take a trip.’ “You could say this is the first word for tourism and represents the importance of tourism in Rwanda” said the Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization.
What is Kwita Izina?
The Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony is an idea based on the Rwandese tradition of inviting the community to name a newborn child. In Rwanda, it is customary to delay naming a child until some of its characteristics are known. (If you look through some of the names of the 161 gorillas named since Kwita Izina started, many give an insight into the individual gorillas’ temperament and family history). The community join together and party to celebrate this new life.
The Gorilla Organization was previously known as the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. This painting of Dian hangs in the TGO office in Musanze, Rwanda.
Rosette Rugamba, the creator of Kwita Izina, with Jillian Miller of The Gorilla Organization, Kwita Izina 2013 Rwanda
I asked Rosette her view on the international success of Kwita Izina?
“When we started this event we had a big vision: to make sure that gorillas continue to be recognised but also to help, in a big way, to change the image of Rwanda. As much as we are honoured to be the custodians of these wonderful creatures, these animals belong to the whole world. That is such a huge responsibility.
So we created a public event. The world needs to watch over us to make sure that we’re making this happen and to celebrate the birth of the gorillas. We continue to be held accountable and the international community realises they have a role in the success of gorilla conservation too.
There was always a concern that tourism might have a bad effect on conservation but it’s proven that responsible tourism can actually contribute to conservation.
Nine years after the creation of Kwita Izina, I think we have come a long way in achieving our objectives. The government is still committed, and has been right from the start.
This is the format of an event that brings in everybody. When we held the first Kwita Izina, 94 nationalities had come to trek the gorillas in Rwanda. Now, I think you could say the whole world has been: someone from every country has trekked the gorillas in Rwanda. Gorillas are symbolic creatures and Rwanda is just lucky.
“I look forward to next year” said Rosette, “10 years of Kwita Izina – a decade!”
This painting of a gorilla family hangs in The Gorilla Organization office in Musanze, Rwanda. The TGO Resource Centre is open to the public
For a premium, visitors to Musanze’s Hotel Muhabura can now stay in cottage number 12, where Dian Fossey regularly stayed on her visits down from the mountains. Dian Fossey’s cottage has been maintained to ‘honour a life dedicated to gorilla conservation.’
so do check it out!
