Climate change affecting Uganda's wildlife, reserves

Paul Tentena in AllAfrica.com via East African Business: Wildlife managers and the Uganda Wildlife Authority have dismissed reports that poor management of national parks and game reserves is leading to the dwindling number of wild animals especially ostriches, lions and zebras in Uganda.

The authority said in Kampala that due to climate changes where animal breeding grounds have been tampered with, population pressure on wildlife reserves by the growing number of people is leading to low reproduction of animals hence the decline in animal figures.

Mr. Andrew Sseguya, the executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) told reporters that whereas his body acknowledges that the Office of the Auditor General carried out a value for money audit in 2011; the reports had errors on the exact situation of wildlife populations in Uganda's national parks.

"The decline in some wildlife in some protected areas is a result of many factors both anthropogenic and environmental as a result of climate change," said Sseguya. "It should therefore not be entirely attributed to the weakness in management as climate change is a global reality and has affected almost all countries," he stressed adding that "Worth noting as well is that as the human population continues to grow, the number of wildlife worldwide continues to reduce due to habitat loss and other pressures exerted by increasing human population."...