Thanks to the Recovery of Murchison Falls project, Murchison Falls National Park's biodiversity has recovered significantly, making the park an attractive tourist destination, local media reports.
The aforementioned project was launched in 2012 by Michael Keigwin, founder of the Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF), a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing poaching and other illegal activities targeting wildlife.
Work on the project is being carried out together with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), a government agency responsible for the management and protection of wildlife, according to the UCF's website.
Over the past decade, the initiative has achieved some remarkable results. For example, the population of the endangered Rothschild's giraffe has dramatically increased from 400 to 2,000. The number of elephants in the park has grown to 3,000, and the lion population is recovering, according to the media.
"Through the combined efforts of the UWA and UCF, we have achieved an unparalleled recovery, positioning it as one of Africa's most remarkable conservation success stories. The 2019 Aerial surveys confirmed our pioneering role in rejuvenating the park – a beacon of hope for wildlife conservation across the continent," Sam Mwandha, the UWA's executive director, told the local media.
In addition to protecting wildlife, the project also supports local communities by providing employment. Charles Tumwesigye, UWA's deputy director of field operations, underlined that the initiative provided Ugandans, impacted by the pandemic and environmental disasters, with employment opportunities.