Uganda Wildlife Authority does not kill poachers

Oct 16, 2018

UWA working with other stakeholders has over the last 25 years been working to reduce poaching incidences

By Bashir Hangi

We have had cases where people accuse and condemn Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers of killing poachers found in the national parks. In most of cases, the accusations are not premised on facts and only serve to mislead the public. These accusations are usually made when individuals illegally enter national parks to hunt for bush meat and disappear from there.

There is an argument that bush meat hunting plays a big role in household livelihoods by supplementing the nutritional needs of communities neighbouring national parks. Such an argument cannot be a justification for poaching wildlife. As an organisation responsible for protecting and conserving Uganda's wildlife resources, UWA cannot sit and watch poachers have a field day wiping out wildlife in the parks because they want to supplement their nutritional needs, it will have failed on its mandate!

Tourism revenue from the parks plays a critical role in the livelihoods and development of communities around the parks. UWA gives back 20% of its annual park gate collections to the communities neighbouring the parks under the revenue sharing scheme. These funds go to community income generating projects and social service infrastructure such as schools and health facilities.

The revenue sharing scheme is meant to strengthen partnerships between local communities, local governments and management of wildlife areas leading to sustainable management of wildlife resources in protected areas. Apart from revenue, there are other collaborative initiatives where communities benefit directly from the Parks. These include resource access such as fuel wood, grass, water, fish, bee keeping etc. Such resources are valued at over sh400m per annum. There are many other benefits to communities neighbouring protected areas like jobs, ready markets for their produce and community tourism.

Furthermore, UWA sensitises communities on the importance of parks and dangers of engaging in poaching and illegal wildlife trade. The Government is amending the law. The Uganda Wildlife Bill 2017 is currently before Parliament; the Bill provides for tough penalties on wildlife related offences, among others.

UWA has strict standard operating procedures (SoP) that rangers follow and enforced. There is no shoot to kill policy in our SoPs. When rangers encounter poachers in the parks, they arrest and have them prosecuted. Rangers who act outside standard operating procedures are handled according to the law. UWA does not condone extrajudicial killings.

Nonetheless, rangers operate in a very hostile environment as they execute their role of protecting wildlife. Some poachers go into protected areas with guns and

when they encounter rangers, there is always an exchange of fire. Armed poachers are dangerous and want to kill the rangers first in order to accomplish their mission without any impediments. We have over the last 20 years lost 45 rangers, majority of them killed by poachers while others died in accidents chasing poachers. We also have many who have been injured after being attacked by poachers. Therefore, in the event of an attack, it is natural that rangers have to defend themselves and in the process, lives are lost. Our rangers are the true unsung heroes, who deserve a public display of support for exercising restraint and being professional in doing their work.

National parks have designated entry points and whoever enters through these points is protected. However, people who choose to use illegal means of entering the parks are not possible to protect and so is accounting for them. These parks are habitats to wildlife, which is well known to be dangerous and capable of killing. Entering such a place without protection is suicidal and chances of being killed by animals are high.

UWA working with other stakeholders has over the last 25 years been working to reduce poaching incidences which has resulted in increase in the population of most wildlife species in protected areas. We are working with leaders and communities in transforming the recovery of our wildlife numbers into benefits to communities. When communities and individuals get a share of the benefits, they attach value to wildlife.

Much of our tourism is nature-based meaning most of the tourists who come to our country visit our protected areas and if we don't conserve wildlife, the cost of our failure will be felt by every citizen. Therefore, looking at a wider scheme of things, the action of an individual or a group of poachers has a big impact on the community and the country. I urge the public to support UWA in protecting our wildlife by ensuring that such people are not allowed to frustrate our efforts of conserving for generations.

Writer is the communications manager of the Uganda Wildlife Authority

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