As Uganda rose from the ruins of a politically tumultuous decade – 1970-1980, her large carnivore populations, which had drastically decreased, also picked up, with major national parks boasting hundreds of lions, scores of cheetahs, leopards and African Wild Dogs.
Three decades later, however, the number of African Lions in Murchison Falls National Park has reduced from 467 in the 2000 to just about 40 in the recent census of 2022. Queen Elizabeth National Park has seen a lion population reduction from 400 in the 1990s to about 39 in 2022.
Today, Uganda’s big carnivore populations are under immense pressure with Kidepo Valley National Park’s lion population going down from 60 in the 1990s to 12 as of 2022 and at the verge of being non-viable, threatening extinction.
Lions which previously occurred across most of Uganda’s Savannah parks now only roam a few protected areas. In fact, the African Lion population in Lake Mburo National Park, Toro-Semuliki and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserves has recently been extirpated.
On a lighter note, UWA reports that cheetahs still occur in Kidepo Valley National Park and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.
“African Wild dogs which have been feared extinct for decades were, in 2023, sighted in the Narus valley of Kidepo Valley National Park,” UWA incoming ED Dr. James Musinguzi said on Wednesday during the Wildlife Conservation Conference held at Protea Hotel in Kampala.
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) says these staggering numbers call for drastic action to not only restore the species but ensure their survival.
On Wednesday February 26th, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Hon. Tom Butime officially launched Uganda’s strategic Action Plan for the Conservation of Large Carnivores across the country’s numerous conservatories, a venture that will cost 169 billion shillings.
The Minister emphasized that this conservation quest requires collaborative efforts of the large cat experts, funders and development partners, local leaders and line decision makers, not just the Wildlife Authority or its mother Ministry alone.
“I urge every stakeholder to support this initiative and embrace the challenge. Let’s work together to ensure that our policies and actions lead to practical and lasting results. Our collective efforts today will pave the way for the future of these wildlife species’ survival,” he noted.
Developed by Uganda Wildlife Authority technical team for Large Carnivore Conservation; Dr Alex Braczkowski (lead author), Dr. Nic Elliot, Dr Arjun Gopalaswamy, and Mr. Aggrey Rwetsiba in collaboration with local, regional and international stakeholders, the plan covers strategies to counter threats exacerbating the decrease of large carnivore species in the country.
While the lion population reduction in particular is primarily blamed on poaching, habitat degradation and human-wildlife conflicts, Dr. Musinguzi says there is a wide array of threats, some biological, that make conservation of large carnivores an uphill task. These include;
Infanticide
Infanticide is the intentional killing of offspring – lion cubs in this regard. While it is usually done by the male lions, females are also known to abandon lone cubs to invest in creating a larger litter.
Among immigrating male lions, infanticide is used as a reproductive strategy.
A paper written by researchers Craig Packer and Anne Pusey titled “Adaptation of female lions to infanticide by incoming males,” indicates that males stop females from investing in the offspring of other males to speed up their return to sexual receptivity.
According to the same paper, these pride ousting and takeover traditions claim up to a quarter of all the lion cubs which meet their demise in their first year of life.
Research has also shown that male lions kill young of ousted pride males for nothing much other than exerting their dominance as new leaders of the pride.
Inbreeding
As aforementioned, the African Lion, now more than ever before, faces limited ranges for dispersal due to habitat fragmentation and coupled with temporarily reduced pride sizes, chances of inbreeding are not uncommon.
In a research conducted by Alert, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the conservation of the African lion, it was established that due to the nature of lion prides where females will preferably mate with the alpha male, the presence of other prides gives females from a given pride options outside theirs.
“High levels of inbreeding can result in reduced genetic variation, low reproductive performance and increased cub mortality, as well as reduced immune competence,” the research report reads in part.
To counter this, Uganda Wildlife Authority is conducting a genetic study to determine existing genetic trees to inform the translocation of lions from one park to another as deemed necessary by study results.
“We are, together with partners, carrying out genetic studies to establish the genetic tree with a view of starting on translocating lions where necessary from Murchison Falls National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park or Kidepo Valley National Park effective next financial year as guided by the results of the study,” Dr. Musinguzi said.
Predator-prey relations
Carrying “king of the jungle” title does not exactly excuse lions from being preyed on by other carnivores or killed by strong herbivores such as buffaloes in a wild encounter. Leopards, hyenas, and cheetahs are known to not only hunt and kill but also eat lion cubs. These also prey on weak, old and sick lion that can’t physically put up a fight.
Also, at the watering points, lions fall prey to calculating crocodiles that lurk in the shallows.
When the hunter becomes the hunted, hippos, rhinos and buffaloes can inflict fatal injuries on lions. Lion cubs, in particular, are vulnerable to attack and prides are known to lose members in the survival f the fittest food chain.
Inside the strategic action plan for large carnivore conservation
The 10-year plan aims at increasing at least by 30% the viable populations of large carnivores in Uganda by 2034.
This will be achieved through implementing efforts aimed at among others;
Reducing poaching rates of large carnivores and carnivore prey base inside Protected Areas by at least 50%. This will be achieved through increasing ranger capacity – staff and training, providing specialised equipment such as improved conservation technology – UAV, forensic equipment, aircraft, command control, access and control measures on public roads or patrol roads, communication system for rangers, field gears, vehicles, motorcycles and boats to increase patrol efforts and efficiency.
UWA is optimistic that supporting intelligence gathering, investigation and prosecution will bolster processes of detecting and effectively preventing crime in protected areas.
Maintaining and improving the quality and extent of possible suitable habitats of large carnivores inside and outside Protected Areas. This, as per the action plan, will be achieved through designing research programs to monitor impacts of climate change on large carnivores (weather stations, animal seasonal movement, feeding, phenology/physiology, reproduction among others) and subsequently developing management interventions based on research findings.
Enhancing human–large carnivore coexistence inside and outside Protected Areas. This will be done partly through undertaking a cultural analysis to understand relationships between neighbouring communities and large carnivores and fast-tracking compensation of carnivore kills to avoid retaliatory killings, as well as supporting community initiatives to protect themselves and their property against large carnivores.
Enhancing evidence-based decision-making processes for large carnivore conservation.
UWA notes that reviewing capacity gaps and establishing a monitoring department as well as putting up a large carnivore computerised database will reinforce scientific processes for further conservation research.
Establishing and operationalising coordination and collaboration mechanisms for large carnivore conservation in Uganda.
“This is aimed at building trust among all stakeholders through promotion of transparency and accountability for all resources available, dialogue to ensure each player understands respective roles of the other and pooling resources together, so that conservation interventions are effectively coordinated,” the action plan reads in part.
With this Strategic Plan spelling out strategic intervention and action areas, Dr. Musinguzi said, the team has identified the most critical interventions as far as the key prioritized threats are concerned.
“This will enable site-specific managers, in consultations with their stakeholders and partners to be guided in their planning process to address localised threats in each site,” he said.
He added that UWA is determined to implement this plan working with stakeholders and some funds have already been committed this end.
“UWA is carrying out a lot of efforts in law enforcement, intelligence gathering, electric fencing, conservation education and awareness, revenue sharing, compensation for loss of life or damages among others all aimed at fostering a harmonious relationship between the communities and management of the conservatories,” he stated.
The action plan is funded by Lion Recovery Fund, Volcanoes Safaris, Griffith University, Northern Arizona University, Michael Cima, Siemiat Kowki Foundation and Uganda Wildlife Authority.
In his remarks at the launch, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda H.E Jan Sadek underscored the role large carnivores play in Uganda’s tourism whose wildlife element serves a huge chunk of tourist preferences.
Ambassador Sadek emphasized that the European Union is committed to supporting wildlife conservation efforts in Uganda and around the world noting that conservation is not just about preserving nature but building resilience, securing livelihoods and fostering sustainable development.
