Uganda

Uganda

Earth Day 2023: AWF invests in our planet through conservation education

Our planet is awe-inspiring, giving life to lakes, rivers, forests, mountains, and oceans teeming with diverse wildlife species, but it unceasingly needs our support to thrive. On April 22, 2023, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) joined over a billion people to celebrate Earth Day under the theme ‘Invest in Our Planet.’ AWF works with local authorities and agencies to support protected area management and with communities to foster sustainable and conservation-friendly utilization of natural resources to make the world a better and healthier place to live.

Education is the key to wildlife conservation in Africa

Education has been described as the “great equalizer.” This can only be true if students have access to good schools with well-trained teachers. In Uganda’s Kidepo Valley landscape, African Wildlife Foundation’s Classroom Africa program built Kidepo Primary School and Sarachom Primary School to ensure children in this rural area receive the education they deserve. Students will not just learn about their rich natural heritage — they will see conservation in action.

AWF Partners with Ugandan Environmental Agencies to Mark International Day for Biological Diversity

General Inquiries

africanwildlife@awf.org

Tel:+254 711 063 000

Ngong Road, Karen, P.O. Box 310
00502 Nairobi, Kenya

African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) in partnership with National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Uganda Biodiversity Fund, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), National Forestry Authority (NFA), Nature Uganda, WWF, Wildlife Conservation Society, and other partners commemorated the International Day for Biological Diversity on May 21, 2021.

Communities are front line workers in conservation

As the world grapples with diminishing biodiversity and the devastating effects of our unhealthy planet, science is slowly beginning to recognize and acknowledge the role of indigenous people in maintaining essential ecosystems. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in 2019 found that over one million species of animals and plants are in danger of extinction over the next few decades.

World Gorilla Day: Silverback Rafiki’s legacy lives on

In the wake of the shocking death of Rafiki, one of Uganda's best-known and most-loved gorillas, conservationists are closely watching the Nkuringo gorilla group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

In June, Rafiki was speared by a poacher who later admitted to hunting pig and antelope in the park. He said he killed the gorilla in self-defense when the silverback charged. The Ugandan man has since been sentenced to 11 years in prison, while three men who entered the park with him are awaiting trial.

Rafiki: Slain silverback is the hero of mountain gorilla tourism in Uganda

As the leader of the Nkuringo mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Rafiki was the gentle giant who protected his family of 17. He was speared and killed in an act of self-defense after accosting four poachers. They were in the park illegally to hunt bush pig, according to the official statement released on June 12, 2020 by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Stolen, lost, and broken: mismanaged evidence sets wildlife criminals free

The illegal trafficking of protected African wildlife species can take various gory forms across the continent. Wildlife management authorities and investigators often discover concealed elephant tusks still dripping with blood or even pieces of flesh and hides, but they are also likely to find crocodile eggs or pangolin scales. The contraband counts as evidence, as do the tools and weapons found at the crime scene, which can range from handmade bows and arrows to AK47s.

Reason #67 to get involved

Already vulnerable to a number of natural predators, the kudu now faces loss of habitat due to habitat destruction and poaching. When you support African Wildlife Foundation, you support local communities’ efforts to protect wildlife habitats.