Uganda’s wildlife authorities have just made a discovery that many animals have been killed and this has greatly affected the safari industry in Uganda since the number of animals especially the elephants has decreased in the national parks due to poaching. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) discovered over 700 kilograms of elephant ivory and 2 tons of scales from pangolin. These items also offered more evidence of the illegal wildlife trade which threatens species, frustrates law enforcement and the environmentalists, and enriches the poachers.
The East African nation has also been clamping down on the illegal trade and also with tougher legislation in the works which is according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The black market values Ivory at $ 1.5 million and the pangolin scales at $ 1.2 million and this has increased the killing of the elephants. Uganda Wildlife is also tracing the items, which likely includes some that had been stolen from Uganda Government storerooms. This illegal wildlife trade is also often used to help fund militias and the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and south Sudan.
Even though Uganda has made its own way in removing poachers from its national parks, the regional insecurity and the porous borders mean that illegal goods can easily be moved through the country and also sent abroad to Europe and Asia. The tracing down of the poachers in the country has also decreased on the killing of the elephants in Ugandan National parks and it has remained high in the national parks of the neighboring countries like Tanzania and Congo. This decrease in poaching is also attributed to the creation of an intelligence unit which interacts with the communities and also the increase in the number of ranger presence in most of the national Parks. Today there is a report on increase on wildlife seen on game viewing safaris in Ugandan national parks and therefore this helps in promoting both conservation and tourism.
Uganda Wildlife Authority has also been working with the agencies in Uganda and Neighboring countries, creating the interstate partnerships with the rangers in south Sudan and the DRC. These partnerships with the rangers have enabled representatives to go on joint patrols and to also combine strategy meetings in border regions. Uganda has also got weak laws and the minimal punishment for poaching making this illegal trade attractive within the country hence affecting the safaris in the country.
