Field Trip 2nd September

Rob's chance to be a biologist/environmentalist . This last weekend I spent in Ishahsha and Mweya, on a proper field trip reviewing the projects and viewing Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is one of the most threatened parks in Uganda, in the south round Ishasha, because the elephants and other large mammals come out of the park and raid the subsistence crops of the local farmers.The picture shows an unusual group of fifteen young bachelor males which we later heard had tried to raid crops in Kihihi parish, fortunately a few loud noises and a lot of running around and no real damage was done and no one and no animals were hurt.

Ishasha is well known for its tree climbing lions (they dont usually climb trees but these guys do) we came across four of them near a kill, one young male got down and chased away the vultures then possibly because we were there in the vehicle, stayed around for a bit to guard it.

Mweya is where the head quarters of the Uganda Wlidlife Authority were until moving to Kampala,they have most of their senior field offices there as well as the rescue boat we funded.

Mweya is at the northern end of Lake Edward on the Kazinga channel. Although it is a national park the whole of it is under threat because local people(including some rather important people) are using the park to graze their cattle about 50,000 of them(cattle that is) and are poisoning the animals in the park, there were 50+hyena in one group and there are now 4, the lion have almost been wiped out, as have the leopard. When we were there the rangers came across a 70kg male leopard which had been snared. The only way to protect them seems to be darting them and then taking them to the zoo in Entebbe. The only people who can do anything about this are fairly high up and dont want to.Cattle mean wealth and keeping on the right side of the pastoralists means votes.

Mweya has however at least at the moment got some herbivores and a very few Topi, animals that are such a lovely colour. They are very nervous however. The only thing we can do is bash on ,if you are interested see it now while its still there!