Endangered Animals in Uganda
Uganda is a hotspot for wildlife and a perfect habitat for even the most endangered animals in the world. Uganda is the perfect safari destination in the world as it encompasses all the safari adventure experiences. The country’s abundant nature is filled with incredible and spectacular features and species that put Uganda at the forefront of any adventure and safari destination in the world. Visitors to Uganda have their high expectations met with plenty of natural wonders, like the dense tropical forests, vast savannahs, swamps, tranquil lakes and rivers, imposing mountains, valleys, and plateaus, among others.
The distinct landscapes of different ecological systems make Uganda the pearl of Africa, as described by the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in his book “My African Journey.” Endangered animals are not limited to only Uganda, but they are endangered across the entire world. Those found in the country include the following.
Mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas are the most critically endangered species in the whole world. This is because only 1,068 mountain gorillas remain in the wild in the entire world. Uganda however, boasts of being one of the few countries in the world that hosts their endangered mountain gorillas. It is even more interesting to note that the country houses the largest population of these primates more than half of the remaining in the wild. The Virunga conservation area is the only remaining natural habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas in the world. This conservation area is located in East Africa covering parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda encircling parks of Virunga National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park respectively. These parks accommodate the endangered mountain gorillas and this is where they can only be encountered in the whole world.
Uganda prides itself on having two of its parks Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks in this Virunga conservation area. Combined, these two national parks account for more than half of the world’s mountain gorilla population with over 600 individual mountain gorillas. Although Uganda has all these mountain gorillas, Bwindi and Mgahinga are the only two habitats they dwell. Hence this makes the mountain gorillas an endangered animal species in Uganda.
Rhinos
Rhinos have also made it on the list of endangered animals in the country. Before they were declared endangered in the country, the northern white rhinos in Uganda dwelled in Murchison Falls National Park. Looking at the mere appearance of rhinos, one stops and wonders why they are endangered. It’s a fact that rhinos are built for battle and don’t have wildlife enemies and are prey to none. Even the lion the king of the jungle does not mess with the rhinos. This is because of their short tempers and armor-plated bodies that can’t easily be penetrated. All this added to a top speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour and an 8-20 inch horn that can take anything down on its path.
The rhinos’ strongest weapon became its worst downfall in the country as poachers targeted and killed these species for their horns. The rhinos’ horns are sold on the black market to make expensive jewelry and accessories. With the political instability in Uganda by 1983, rhinos were hunted to extinction. In 2005, the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established to habituate southern white rhinos and up to date this sanctuary is the one place to track rhinos in the wild in Uganda.
African elephant
The African elephant is the largest land mammal on earth standing at an average height of about 3.2 meters and a weigh of 6,000 kilograms. This moving mountain is among Africa’s Big 5 animals. Although the African elephant is huge, it is also an endangered animal species in Uganda. There are only 7975 left in the Ugandan wilderness in national parks like Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, and Pian Upe National Reserve.
Lions
The kings of the savannah plains of the Ugandan wilderness, the lions, are endangered animals in the country. It is estimated that only 291 lions are in Uganda and this has made them the most endangered animal in the Big 5. Their extinction is attributed to many factors from habitat loss to human conflict and diseases. There are also natural factors that kill territory fights to lead to the death of many cubs.
Rothschild giraffes
The Rothschild giraffes are some of the rare giraffe species because they usually dwell in desert areas. In Uganda, the Rothschild giraffes are common in Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls National Park. However, they were relocated also to Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda currently hosts approximately 1,575 Rothschild giraffes.
Red colobus monkey
The Red colobus monkey, or Ugandan red colobus, is an old-world monkey located in a few places in the country. It is listed on the National Red List of endangered wildlife species in the country. There are approximately 20,000 ashy red colobus monkeys in the country and Kibale Forest National Park alone hosts over 17,000.
Leopards
Leopards are elusive and solitary species that spend most of their time hidden under the tree canopies. It is on this account that the exact number of leopards in Uganda is not known but it is believed they are more than lions. The larger population of leopards is located in Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Researchers believe that Murchison Falls National Park has some of the highest leopard populations in Africa. Due to habitat loss, leopards are slowly getting endangered and that is why they are listed.
