This project will improve gorilla health monitoring through training park staff to report clinical signs in gorillas and collect gorilla fecal samples when inside the national park and in community land, which will enable timely veterinary interventions through conducting comparative pathogen analysis to minimize disease transmission between people, gorillas and livestock. .Activities that reduce negative interactions between people and gorillas and reducing wildlife crime and poaching
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to half of the world's population of 1004 mountain gorillas, which are endangered .They face threats of disease, poaching, habitat loss and high human population which this project will address.
To address an urgent need expressed by Uganda Wildlife Authority to reduce wildlife crime by engaging known current and reformed poachers in meaningful livelihoods, EWCO will work with UWA to engage poachers in alternative livelihoods identified through meetings with poachers EWCO works with communities of reformed poachers to initiate meaningful alternative livelihoods to poaching, strengthening capacity field veterinary staff and park rangers in monitoring , gorilla health monitoring.
Expected direct results Timely veterinary interventions through routine gorilla fecal sample collection and laboratory analysis. Increased responsibility of communities to act as good stewards over the natural environment Improved capacity of park staff in gorilla health monitoring and combating poaching through community patrols
This project has provided additional documentation in a XLSX file (projdoc.xlsx).