Tooro Kingdom’s reigning King Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru on Saturday embarked on a trip to Kibale National Park for a birding excursion aimed at creating more awareness on the activity that’s often overshadowed by the primary attraction in the park – chimpanzees.
Flanked by the Queen Mother Best Kemigisa Olimi, Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya, Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka – State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and other royals, the king took on the tour as part of the coronation commemoration activities in a prestigious festival dubbed “Ekyooto Ha Mpango.”
According to statement issued by the Kingdom, the King chose bird watching as the main activity of the tour to “promote the beauty of Tooro, raise awareness about Kibale National Park’s rich diversity of bird species and emphasize the importance of environmental conservation and wildlife protection.”
Most tourists visit Kibale National Park to trek the habituated chimpanzees among other primates. Kibale hosts Africa’s largest diversity and density of primate species -13. The primate species include; Chimpanzees, Uganda Mangabey, Patas monkey, Demidoff’s Galago, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys, Uganda Red Colobus, Blue Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, L’Hoest Monkeys, Black and White Colobus monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys and the Potto.
This list has earned Kibale the coveted, selling title “the primate capital of the world.”
Speaking about the tour, Hon. Bahinduka emphasized the need to widen the tourism products in Kibale, noting that birding should be vigorously marketed and incorporated in the tour packages.
“Of course most tourists visit Kibale to trek chimpanzees in the forested jungle but birding is another activity that should not miss on the itinerary,” the Minister wrote on his X handle.
Kibale National Park is home to over 325 recorded bird species and as per statistics from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), 6 bird species endemic to the Albertine Rift also call Kibale home. The endemics include the Blue-headed sunbird, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Black-capped Apalis, Collared Apalis, Purple-breasted sunbirds and the Dusky Crimsonwing.
UWA has also reported bird species in Kibale that have not been recorded anywhere else in Uganda. These include the Masked Apalis, Blue-headed bee-eater, Cassin’s spinetail and Nahan’s Francolin.
This tour adds to the many excursions done by the youthful king to promote destination Uganda as a prized getaway among other noble causes and campaigns such as creating awareness on climate change through his 2022 Royal Expedition to Rwenzori’s highest peak -Margherita.
The documentary that chronicles the Margherita expedition titled ‘Rwenzori-the Source of Life’ has since bagged various awards for its Call to Action message on restoration of ecosystems and tourism promotion.
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The King has also bolstered awareness on the need for multipronged wildlife conservation initiatives. During his 2023 tour to the CTC Conservation Center in Butambala- Mpigi, King Oyo interacted with lion cubs, zebras, impalas among other animals.
The facility prides in ably conserving wildlife through commercialization which, according to the Director Thomas Price, is a more sustainable approach as opposed to relying on grants or government input.
Apart from the Royal Tour to Kibale, the Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival treated attendees to other excursions and events including a fashion gala, palace tour, music concert, sports tournaments and the royal coronation extravaganza.