THE NEW MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA

GORILLA CONSERVATION NEWS, AUGUST 1992, pp 29-30.

The former Gorilla Game Reserve, found in the extreme south-west corner of Uganda, was gazetted as the MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK in May 1991. The new National Park is situated on the Ugandan side of the Virunga Volcanos and belongs to one of the remaining two habitats of the endangered mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) .The gorilla habitat is continuous to Rwanda and Zaire, where now all three conservation areas are National Parks.

The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park includes a core area and a buffer zone, making the whole size of the Park 44.5 square kilometres (see map).The core area (33.7 square kilometers) integrates the former Mgahinga Forest Reserve (Zone 1; 9.2 sq km). Any cultivation of land, grazing of livestock, cutting of vegetation or settlement is not permitted within the core area. About 60 percent of encroachers have already left Zone 2. The buffer zone, however, is an area of very high human density, and many people were already living there when the Gorilla Game Reserve was extended in 1951. An agro-forestry project has started its work to assist the people in this area. The preparations to upgrade the status of the conservation area included, among other efforts, a public enquiry, a socio-demographic survey, a survey of the boundary of the former Gorilla Sanctuary and Mgahinga Forest Reserves, and a public consultation and announcement by Ugandan government officials to the people around the conservation area.

The northern border of the core area once was demarcated with a line of Grevillia trees every 25 meters and stones every 300 meters. From 1941 to 1951 this line was the common boundary of the former Gorilla Sanctuary and the former Mgahinga Forest Reserve. Some of these markers can still be seen today. In 1951 the boundary was shifted, when the Mgahinga Forest Reserve was reduced (from Zone 1 & 2 to Zone 1) and the newly gazetted Gorilla Game Reserve was extended (from Zone 1 & 2 to Zone 1 & 2 & 3). The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Project (former Gorilla Game Reserve Conservation Project) is preparing to connect the remaining markers with a line of thorny shrubs and trees and to install sign posts along this boundary, which is still well known by the local people.

The responsibility for the new National Park is now under both the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and Uganda National Parks. Before the change of the conservation status two ministries and three departments were involved in the management.

Congratulations to the Ugandan authorities and special thanks for the excellent cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, the Ministry of Environment Protection. Uganda National Parks, the Uganda Game Department, Uganda Forest Department, the Impenetrable Forest Conservation Project, the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Project, all institutions, nature protection organisations and interested persons who supported the realization of the new Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Reports and publications concerning the new National Park:

Butynski, T.M., Kalina, J. & Werikhe, S. 1990. Status, Distribution and Conservation of the Mountain Gorilla in the Gorilla Game Reserve, Uganda.

Malpas, R.C., Infield H.H. 1961. The Mgahinga Forest and Gorilla Game Reserves, Uganda. A Report to the Ministries of Tourism & Wildlife and Agriculture & Forestry.

Sucker, Klaus -J. 1988. Zerstorung des Gorilla Game Reserve und Mgahinga Forest Reserve, Virunga Vulkane, Uganda. University of Bielefeld, FRG.

Sucker, Klaus -J. 4/1990. Hoffnung fur Gorillas. In: Du und Das Tier; publ. by Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V., Bonn, FRG. Sucker, Klaus -J. 4/1991. Ein Platz fur wilde Tiere. In: Du und Das Tier; publ. by Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V., Bonn, FRG.

Werikhe, S. June 1991. An Ecological Survey of the Gorilla Game Reserve (GGR), South-West Uganda. Makerere University, Kampala.

Klaus -J. Sucker
Project Leader,
Park Warden,
P.O. Box 723,
Kabale, UGANDA