The first official chimpanzee census in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has successfully come to an end. The month-long exercise began one month ago and was led by teams of rangers and data collectors from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), with support from the Jane Goodall Institute.
Purpose of the Census
The goal of this important study was to find out how many chimpanzees live in the park, where they are located, what their living conditions are like, and what threats they face. For many years, there had been uncertainty about whether chimpanzees lived in Bwindi. This census has finally confirmed their presence.
Confirmation of Chimpanzees in Bwindi
At the closing ceremony held at Rushaga Gorilla Camp in Rubuguri Town Council, Kisoro District, the Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute, James Byamukama, officially confirmed the presence of chimpanzees in Bwindi. This discovery is important because it gives conservationists better information for protecting the park and its wildlife.
Also Read: Chimpanzees Seen in Mgahinga For The First Time
Difficulties Faced During the Census
The teams who carried out the survey faced many challenges. Michael Jurua, the Conservation Science Manager at the Jane Goodall Institute and head of the fieldwork, explained that the terrain was very rugged and hard to move through. Unpredictable weather, especially rainfall, also made the work harder. In addition, poor telecommunication in some parts of the forest made it difficult for the teams to communicate during the survey.
UWA’s Future Conservation Plans
Representing the Executive Director of UWA, Dr. James Musinguzi, the Chief Warden of the Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area, Nelson Guma, said that the information gathered will help guide future conservation efforts. UWA may now consider habituating the chimpanzees. Habituation is the process of helping wild animals get used to human presence so they can be safely tracked by tourists and researchers. The census findings may also help UWA address conflicts between humans and wildlife in the park.
Learning and Technology in the Field
Geresom Muhumuza, a veteran data collector who has taken part in four previous chimpanzee surveys, said the Bwindi census was a great learning experience. It introduced him and the teams to new digital tools used in scientific research, which made data collection more accurate and efficient.
Next Steps and Future Possibilities
The data collected during the census will now be analyzed by a team of experts. Once the final results are ready, they will be officially shared with the public. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is already well-known around the world for mountain gorilla trekking. If the chimpanzees are successfully habituated, chimpanzee tracking could be introduced in the future. This would make the park even more attractive to tourists and help bring more support for conservation activities.
