By Flavia Ajok
KIKUUBE: The number of chimpanzees in Bugoma Central Forest Reserve has significantly reduced following the destruction of their habitat, reveals Paul Hatanga, Project Manager Wildlife Conservation Society.
The manager says a census conducted in 2001 indicated that Bugoma forest was home to an estimated 570 chimpanzees but their population has now reduced to 390.
This is as per the joint report released by Wildlife Conservation Society, Jane Goodall Institute, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), National Forestry Authority (NFA) and Budongo Conservation Field Station.
Hatanga says the census report attributes the thinning number of chimpanzee population to clearing of Bugoma forest for subsistence and commercial farming leaving the primates concentrated in small pockets of the corridors of Bugoma and Budongo forests.
‘’The number of chimpanzee population has been cleared of Bugoma forest for subsistence and commercial farming leaving the primates concentrated in small pockets of the corridors of Bugoma and Budongo forests,’’ said Hatanga.
Asiimwe Aliguma, the Communications Officer Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU), says following the destruction of Bugoma forest, the organisation is now engaging and sensitising private foresters to allow chimpanzees space in their forests so they can be salvaged from extinction.
‘’Following the destruction of Bugoma forest, the organisation is now engaging and sensitising private foresters to allow chimpanzees space in their forests so they can be salvaged from extinction,’’ Aliguma revealed.
The conservationist discloses that most of the chimpanzees in that forest were killed in the process of clearing their habitat for cultivation, adding that the few ones in small forest places cannot reproduce because of the current bad conditions in which they are living since they are situation sensitive.
‘’Most of the chimpanzees in that forest were killed in the process of clearing their habitat for cultivation, the few ones in small forest places cannot reproduce because of the current bad conditions in which they are living since they are situation sensitive,’’ Aliguma disclosed.
He reveals that the primates cannot reproduce when the environment around them is being tampered with by human activities.
Aliguma encourages and appeals to all local foresters to protect their woods so they can be chimpanzee habitats to avoid any human-wildlife collision because most of their habitats have been destroyed.
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