Born into a family that runs a wildlife trade venture, Emmanuel Mukasa’s career nurturing did not spread beyond the art and ideals of the family business dynamic which in many ways informed his passion – herping.
In 1973, Mukasa’s father started a wildlife trade business; buying and selling of wild animals and plants as well as their parts and derivatives within or across borders. The family zeroed down to trading reptiles and amphibians, a path Mukasa curiously followed.
On the global front, wildlife trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to ensure that the operations do not threaten the survival of species.
In Uganda, wildlife trade is primarily regulated by Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities which serves as the CITES Management Authority, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) as the CITES Scientific Authority on Fauna and Ministry of Water and Environment as the CITES Scientific Authority on plants.
Additionally, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Uganda Police work together with UWA to monitor and control wildlife trade ascertaining legality of transfers across border points, airports and other key transit routes.
Nurturing a passion
Curious about this not so common business, Mukasa yearned to equip himself with knowledge on the workings of would be his new passion, career and fulfilling purpose.
“This pushed me to study and understand the various reptiles of Uganda and where they are found. This earned me a new name from my peers, ‘Misota’ a Luganda word for snakes because we had many of them at home. As I grew grew older, my interest in business deepened and I eventually pursued herping,” Mukasa narrates.
Mukasa’s passion meant traversing habitats where reptiles and amphibians live if he had to ace his understanding of these creatures. This is referred to as herpetology, a branch of zoology which deals with these creatures.
The limited documentation and other resources on herpetology in Uganda also encouraged Mukasa to invest in the cause.
Filling a gap, however, isn’t the only element that attracted him to herpetology, the uniqueness of the discipline satiated a hunger he deals with – being different, extra-ordinary.
“I have always wanted to associate myself with unique things. This not only just because I want clout, it helps me avoid competition. Doing something that every other person is doing lessens your competitive advantage. But also, this unique business plays a vital role in promoting ecotourism in Uganda and thus creates employment opportunities through the herping safaris which seem to be a new baby in the tourism industry,” he says.
Mukasa’s notable finds
In 2017, Mukasa embarked on a herping trip around Rwenzori. When River Mubuku flooded, he thought his trip was ruined, little did he know that nature was calling, guiding him to a new course of excursion where he chanced upon the Three-horned Chameleon, the Great Lakes Bush Viper, Elioti Chameleon and the Flap-necked Chameleon which was exciting.
“This trip is a memory is o much treasure,” he says.
Another unusual find was during his herping expedition in the Kifu Reserve in 2007. Face to face with what would be his first ever viper encounter, Mukasa was pleasantly surprised to see a Rhino Viper, scientifically known as Bites nasicoris.
During his senior four vacation, Mukasa found a Goldi’s Cobra in Mabira Forest, another delightful find. He notes that the western and the central regions of Uganda are key and rich in species of reptile and amphibian diversity and habitants respectively.
Mukasa has not encountered any new or previously undiscovered species during his herping activities in Uganda yet, but he believes one day he will discover a species and it will be named after him.
Herp Fauna Foundation – the Inception
In 2015, It downed on Mukasa that many reptiles die on a daily due to various reasons and a good number succumb to injuries sustained from road crashes.
“I went to checked in with a friend and we sat at the RAC Building in Kyambogo University to discuss my conservation idea. Peter (Twijukye) suggested that we should start an NGO that would advocate for conservation of reptiles and amphibians hence the start of Herp Fauna Foundation,” Mukasa narrate.
Herp Fauna is a private organization educating and advocating for reptiles and amphibians in Uganda. It runs a project which aims at mitigating snake bites and also enhance snake bite management in communities around Uganda.
“Herp Fauna takes this exercise to schools and corporate entities because they are organized communities which help us to archive the goal of advocating for humanity and wildlife. As of now, we are a team of twenty members who run all these activities,” he adds.
Currently, the organization does not have any funders and operates on the self-support mechanism of the members.
“It is our humble appeal to line partners to come on board and support these conservation education initiatives.”
Mukasa’s Guide on snake bite first response and management
Snakes are categorized into venomous and non-venomous. Some move during the day and others at night (durnial and nocturnal). Snake bites in Uganda are one of the diseases that are given little or no attention and that is why WHO (World Health Organization) declared snake bites in 2017 a Neglected Tropical Disease.
People are bitten by snakes during farming, lumbering and in the night while walking along the small paths.
“When someone has been or is suspected to have been bitten by a snake, everyone is in distress, looking for solutions which tend not to be useful to the victim. So, it is important for people to know how to handle the situation,” Mukasa says.
- Keep the person calm. Reassure them that bites can be effectively treated in an emergency room. Restrict movement, and keep the affected area below heart level to reduce the flow of venom.
- Remove any rings or constricting items, because the affected area may swell. Create a loose splint to help restrict movement of the area.
- If the area of the bite begins to swell and change color, the snake was probably venomous.
- Monitor the person’s vital signs — temperature, pulse, rate of breathing, and blood pressure — if possible. If there are signs of shock (such as paleness), lay the person flat, raise the feet about a foot (30 centimeters), and cover the person with a blanket.
- Get medical help right away.
- If possible, make note of the color, shape, and size of the snake. This may help with treatment of the bite. Do not waste time hunting for the snake, and do not trap it or pick it up. If the snake is dead, be careful of the head — a snake can actually bite (from a reflex) for several hours after it is dead.
Challenges
Expensive equipment
Mukasa says herping in Uganda has different challenges including lack of equipment.
“Not only are these expensive, most of the quality ones have to be shipped from Kenya which double the cost.”
Non-functional government policies
According to Mukasa, there are no clear policies that advocate for the conservation of reptiles and amphibians. He notes that the general guidelines on wildlife protection do not particularly cater to the needs of herping and herp conservation “yet reptiles and amphibians play a vital role in the ecosystem.”
Habitat Loss
There is little knowledge among community members about these creatures which forces society to demonize some and kill others, something Mukasa fears will lead to the extinction of some species in the nearby future.
Mukasa adds that the deadly interaction between humans and herps is exacerbated by habitat loss which is primarily caused by increasing human encroachment on wetlands leaving many amphibian and reptile species homeless and vulnerable.
Cultural beliefs
“When it comes to the cultural beliefs, many people believe some snakes are evil while others say some species like pythons (which are alleged to be produced by human beings) are a blessing and prefer to have them close to or within their homesteads. This is a challenge to the conservation league since they have no clue on managing them,” he says.
He further notes that some people kill snakes because of the Biblical illusion that snakes are cursed and should suffer death at sight.
“There are misconceptions or myths about reptiles and amphibians in Uganda that we often come across these during our herping expeditions. For example, people say chameleons burst when they give birth yet they do not, they go ahead to say that snakes have a precious stone which is expensive yet it is a false perception. People also say snakes like vipers bite while laying onto their back which is so funny and not true. Some of these myths are the reason people hunt and kill some reptile species.”
Herp Fauna Interventions
Herp Fauna organises awareness camps at the village level aimed at equipping the village health teams on the management of snake bites in their areas of jurisdiction. The organization also does rescuing of reptiles that roam in the communities where they risk being killed.
Herp Fauna also conducts visits to schools including primary, secondary, tertiary institutions, universities and the corporate entities to teach them about reptiles, amphibians and their merits in the society like biological control.
“We do this to push local communities to promote awareness about these creatures. Herping contributes to conservation efforts in Uganda, especially for lesser-known species because many different habitants are located and mapped for conservation focus but also it increases on awareness about the vulnerable species that need more attention.”
As someone deeply involved in herping, Mukasa believes there is need for increased awareness creation and education about these lesser-known species among Ugandans to reduce or undo the negative attitude and myths that surround these creatures.
Future Plans
In future, Mukasa believes that through Herp Fauna, the communities across Uganda will be empowered with knowledge and citizen science to handle snake bites as a neglected tropical disease but also to have a community learning center teaching about reptile and amphibian conservation.
The organization also intends to characterize the venoms of the different snakes of Uganda something which will boost the pharmaceutical industry and also the development of a country based anti- venom.
“This will solve the untold deaths that are caused by snake bites and those who seek medication from traditional healers.”
For inquiries on herping in Uganda, interested persons can look up herpfauna.com.
1 Comment
It’s a great story. Kudos to you Prime News and Hilda for a such a great story.