From: "Saved by Windows Internet Explorer 10" Subject: African Wildlife Conservation Fund Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:01:07 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0066_01CE0C6F.98012C80" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.2.9200.16384 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0066_01CE0C6F.98012C80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.thoriumone.net/ =EF=BB=BF
=20 =20A Memorable Adventure of Sir = Samuel=20 Baker=E2=80=99s Grand Son and a Daughter at Murchison Falls
David Baker, Sir Samuel = Baker=E2=80=99s great-grandson,=20 and his daughter Melanie Baker at Murchison Falls, retracing their = ancestor=E2=80=99s=20 expedition footsteps on January /27/ 2012.
<= IMG=20 width=3D"300" height=3D"216" title=3D"bakar" class=3D"alignleft = size-medium wp-image-55"=20 alt=3D"" = src=3D"http://www.thoriumone.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/bakar-300x216= .jpg">In=20 Summary, his great-grand father came to Uganda and discovered the beauty = that=20 later attracted Europeans to Uganda. 150 years later, David Baker = retraces the=20 roots of the expedition that amazed his ancestor.
Samuel Baker has for long been known = for having=20 =E2=80=9Cdiscovered=E2=80=9D or found the =E2=80=9Csource=E2=80=9D of = River Nile at Albert Nyanza (Lake Albert)=20 and led the fight against slave trade in northern Uganda among other = expeditions=20 in the 1880s according to Uganda=E2=80=99s history.
For Long, Samuel Baker=E2=80=99s = expeditions were left=20 in the books of history; his great-great grandson David Baker came to = Uganda to=20 re-trace his ancestor=E2=80=99s expeditions last week.
In company of renowned anthropologist = and modern=20 day African explorer, Julian Monroe Fisher, David Baker, 73, and his = daughter=20 Melanie Baker came to Uganda for a 10-day ethnographical research = project=20 entitled, The Great African Expedition to revive their = ancestor=E2=80=99s findings and=20 make them relevant to today=E2=80=99s society. The team that arrived on = January 18=20 kicked off their expedition by visiting Masindi and Hoima towns where = they met=20 the Omukama of Bunyoro, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, at his palace in Hoima = town.
The team also reached to Sir Samuel = Baker=20 Secondary School in Gulu built in memory of the great explorer, years = after he=20 had left Uganda. More important, they also visited Fort Patiko, a legacy = to the=20 work of the explorer and anti-slave trade campaigner.
The team looked through the writings = of Sir=20 Samuel Baker and compared them with their findings. With Samuel = Baker=E2=80=99s diaries=20 and maps, the team set off to discover the view of the great explorer = from where=20 he named the Lake Mutanzige, Albert Nyanza.
=E2=80=9CIn his dairy, he said, he saw = a great lake in=20 the south and mountains in the south west that are the Congo mountains = that is=20 the exact view we stood at and put GPRS coordinates and named it the = Baker=E2=80=99s=20 view,=E2=80=9D says David Baker, who is a consultant in Aviation = Regulatory affairs in=20 the UK.
Away from Baker=E2=80=99s view, was a = visit to the=20 bottom of the Murchison Falls in the Murchison Falls National Game Park = that=20 according to the modern day explorers were not very different from what = Baker=20 wrote in his diaries
=E2=80=9CAlso in his dairy, he saw = about 27 crocodiles=20 in a corner near the spectacular falls that the guides tells, are the = crocodile=20 banks. The place offers a beautiful scene of waters flowing through a=20 23-inch-wide cleft in the rocks to plunge 148 feet below forming a = spectacular=20 rainbow and foam with steam that Sir Samuel Baker had named the = Murchison falls=20 in honour of the president of the Royal Geographical Society.
At the bottom of the falls, is an = exciting=20 hiking experience up the falls that is about 1.5km to reach the top of = the falls=20 that according to the Bakers still gives an impression of what their = ancestor=20 could have seen according to his dairy notes. This visit has reminded = the UWA to=20 develop all the historic tourist attractions based on the discoveries = that have=20 been made Baker.
=E2=80=9CSir Samuel Baker came and = named Lake Albert and=20 Murchison Falls in 1864, nearly 150 years ago and it=E2=80=99s = remarkable that David=20 Baker had been able to return to the country to re-trace the footsteps = of his=20 ancestor, one of the key historical figures. One of the places the great = African=20 Expedition unearthed was a place referred to as Baker=E2=80=99s View = some where in=20 Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve where Sir Samuel Baker stood as he watched the=20 beautiful view of Lake Albert that has not been known that we want to = utilize as=20 a great tourism attraction,=E2=80=9D Dr Andrew Ggunga Sseguya, Uganda = Wildlife Authority=20 Executive Director notes.
He says they will partner with Royal=20 Geographical Society and any other partners to draw attention to all = areas that=20 have been covered by the Great African Expedition.
Sir Samuel Baker first sighted Lake = Albert on=20 March 14, 1864 and then sought to establish the fact that the lake = poured=20 significant volumes of water into the famous River Nile.
He identified the place where the = White Nile=20 enters the lake, and then christened the lake =E2=80=9CAlbert,=E2=80=9D = after England=E2=80=99s Prince=20 Regent.
You can visit Uganda parks and = Murchison Falls=20 National park with Gorilla expeditions Ltd, No.1 gorilla = trekking=20 company in Uganda, also offers gorilla tours in Rwanda.
My name is Paula Bonson, I recently = went gorilla = tracking in both Uganda (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park) and = Rwanda=20 (Volcanoes National Park). In my observation, I would say that trekking = gorillas=20 is easier in Rwanda (unless you visit the Susa group in Rwanda =E2=80=93 = you can choose=20 the difficulty of the trek you want in Rwanda on the morning of trekking = while=20 on the briefing about gorilla trekking, but in Uganda you are assigned a = gorilla=20 group when you buy the permit) =E2=80=93 both in terms of steepness, = distance and=20 density of vegetation. Steve at African Jungle Adventures = Ltd=20 helped me choose one of the best gorilla groups in Uganda when he was = buying my=20 gorilla permit and that was Oruzogo group.
I had a very different gorilla = tracking=20 experience in Rwanda and Uganda =E2=80=93 in Rwanda=E2=80=99s Volcanoes = National Park, we were=20 closer with less vegetation in between and the group were very peaceful, = playing=20 and relaxing. We got fantastic photos. While on Uganda = Gorilla=20 Tracking, we saw more gorillas and they were more active, climbing = trees,=20 playing and eating. Therefore, it was more difficult to get a good view = and=20 photographing. But I don=E2=80=99t think this is a difference between = the countries,=20 just the difference between different gorilla families and different = visits. But=20 if you can afford it and have time it is definitely worth doing both as = you will=20 have two different both amazing experiences.
There is a difference in prices of = gorilla=20 permits whereby, gorilla permits in Rwanda cost US$750 each, while in = Uganda,=20 gorilla permits cost US$500 each. This makes gorilla tracking in Rwanda expensive than in = Uganda. Bwindi=20 impenetrable National Park in Uganda can be accessed from Rwanda = (Kigali)=20 through Katuna boarder. the journey takes 3-4hrs drive to southern = bwindi=20 national park, 5-6hrs drive to Norther bwindi National park.
Both countries are beautiful (in my = opinion=20 Rwanda more so) with incredibly friendly people. In Rwanda the golden = monkeys=20 are also fantastic and the genocide memorial museums like Gisozi, = Nyamata and=20 Ntarama churches very interesting. In Uganda the chimps (in Kibale) were = also an=20 amazing experience as was white water rafting on the mighty Nile at = Jinja and=20 Lake Bunyoni is very beautiful. The magnificent Murchison falls are so = amazing.=20 This is where the Nile river perfects its beauty!! We saw lots of = elephants,=20 Buffaloes, tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth. I was lucky I had 3 = weeks so=20 I could see it all!
Home stay tourism with local=20 communities.
Honestly, from our Uganda safari = Packages, it is=20 revealed that home stay tourism is of positive impact to both the local=20 communities and the visitors/tourists. It creates either way teach of = cultures,=20 strong relationship, earn of income, innovations and initiative = developments in=20 local villages. It is out of this type of tourism concept that some = projects in=20 Uganda like Tinka=E2=80=99s home near Kibale forest, Uganda community = and Tourism=20 Association (UCOTA), Bomu women=E2=80=99s group and much more have = developed. These=20 projects specialize in African art and crafts, provide local food = taboos,=20 African technology methods, clients do participate and at the end of = their=20 gorilla safaris / holidays are skilled to = make out=20 these arts and crafts, prepare foods, they take them at their home for = their=20 life memorable experience. Therefore it is believed that for those = clients=20 participating in this tourism concept enjoy a lot of fascinating = experience and=20 it is a must for such clients to come back. So it is an advice to = clients to=20 book for such package with us in advance for proper arrangements to = avoid=20 dissatisfaction during the holiday. I think this article found of value, = may i=20 request you to forward it to friends and other relatives.
The most attractions for a lot of visitors to pearl of Africa are the = wildlife. It is not that they are many than in any other regions but are = certainly unique. There are quite good number of animals like elands, = impala=20 among others that you would not be able to see anywhere else. The reason = is=20 because of the unique geography of the country and you can enjoy all = when you=20 choose to take a Uganda Safari on your holiday vacation to = Africa!
Uganda is well-known for its own tree climbing lions, endangered = mountain=20 gorillas. There are a couple of reasons for this; the first is that the=20 availability of unspoilt forests, savannah woodlands for such lions and = the=20 political stability. The result of the unique environment in Uganda is = that=20 there are animals that you would not see in other regions. This can be = both good=20 and bad news; the gorillas and chimps for example are regarded as unique = species=20 that most tourists would like to see. On the other hand the country is = also home=20 to the half of leaving endangered mountain gorillas in Africa. More of = the=20 world=E2=80=99s remaining mountain gorillas are found in Rwanda and can = be tracked when=20 you choose to take Rwanda Safaris to see gorillas in Volcanoes = National park.=20 There are a lot more fun facts about Uganda when it comes to=20 geography.
Evaluation and evolution of Gorilla populations in=20
Africa
Based on recent estimates (Gray et al., 2003 and =
McNeilage et=20
al., 2001), the total number of Mountain Gorillas is between 650 and =
680, living=20
in two isolated populations. This has boosted gorilla =
trekking=20
safaris in Uganda, Rwanda & DR Congo as many people come from =
allover=20
the world to visit these endangered species. Both populations are =
entirely=20
located within protected areas. The number of Mountain Gorillas declined =
throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, and some declines were seen into =
the 1990s=20
(e.g Binyeri et al., 2002). IUCN (1982) described a decline in the =
Mountain=20
Gorilla numbers in the Virungas, from 400-500 in the late 1950s, to 275 =
in 1973=20
to 250 by 1981, with most of the decline occurring in the Democratic =
Republic of=20
Congo. However, since the mid 1980s, the Mountain Gorilla appears to be=20
gradually increasing in numbers. A census of the Virunga Volcanoes =
Mountain Gorilla population carried out in 2003 shows a 17% increase in=20
population size since 1989. Their number is now estimated at a total of =
380. 71%=20
of these animals are habituated (used to the presence of humans). A 1997 =
census=20
conducted in Bwindi forest where Uganda Gorilla safaris take place resulted in an =
estimate of=20
292 gorillas from 28 groups, along with 7 lone silverback males. A =
similar=20
number (290-310) had also been found during the period of 1987 to 1993 =
when all=20
groups were identified and monitored by Thomas Butynski and his =
team.
The Mountain Gorilla (G.g.beringei) is listed as Critically = Endangered on the=20 IUCN Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN 2008, CR C1). It faces an = extremely=20 high risk of extinction in the wild due to its very small population = level,=20 habitat loss, poaching, human disease and war.
Actual and potential threat
The major threats =
affecting=20
or having affected Mountain Gorilla populations are (1) habitat loss =
or=20
modification and forest encroachment (Muruthi et al., 2000), (2) disease =
and=20
disease transmission from humans and (3) war or political =
unrest
(Plumptre et=20
al., 2003; Muruthi et al., 2000; IUCN, 2002).
Air Uganda to begin domestic flights
As Air Uganda marks 4 years of existence this month, there are plans = to=20 commence domestic flights. Airline activity is to pick up with the = arrival of=20 the major world players such as Turkish airline, Delta and Qatar = airlines at the=20 EBB. There are many opportunities to improve Uganda=E2=80=99s economy = especially=20 tourism. In other words, fur national parks like Murchison falls and = Kidepo=20 valley shall be easily accessed as well as Bwindi impenetrable National = park for=20 gorilla trekking adventures.
=E2=80=9CPlans were underway to acquire a new fleet of planes to = explore the Uganda=20 destinations in the next two years=E2=80=A6..=E2=80=9D says Kyle = Haywood, the Air Uganda=20 boss.
Air Uganda is very much recognized as the national carrier after the = collapse=20 of Uganda Airlines in May 2001. According to Haywood, Air-Uganda is = improving=20 its service to fliers along the Entebbe- Nairobi route, and also = increase flight=20 frequencies to Juba in southern Sudan to consolidate its presence in the = region.=20 Haywood further says that the arrival of larger international airplanes = will=20 feed into the Airliners sales to boost the local economy through = increased=20 passenger traffic at Entebbe who include tourists on gorilla trekking safari in Uganda.
Visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to see the mountain = gorillas was=20 the absolute highlight of my gorilla trip to Uganda. = For all gorilla tours in Africa (Uganda, Rwanda & = Congo), there=20 are a few things I wish had known before departure. First and fore most, = make=20 sure you are in good shape! Physical fitness is very important! I booked = double=20 gorilla trekking with Jungle safaris Uganda, where I visited two gorilla = groups on=20 different days. The first gorilla trek was 2 hours, the = second=20 trek was 3 hours, both one-way! Plan for at least a 4 hour hike one way, = and=20 never underestimate steepness the mountains can be or how thick the = forest is.=20 Remember its called BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST.
Fortunately my travel agent (Jungle Safaris Uganda) gave me tips on = traveling=20 to Uganda together with a packing list. My tour guide organized for me = alot of=20 water carried by the porter. You will need a lot of water on the trek. = Make sure=20 you carry enough food; including your packed lunch, or snacks. If it is = too much=20 to carry, there are porters from $10-$15(excluding tip). Thorns are = everywhere=20 and long sleeved shirts and a pair of leather garden gloves are advised. = Several=20 times I reached out to grab hold of something or to stop my fall and I = would cut=20 my hands on the thorns if I had not put on Gloves. Gloves are of a big = help=20 during gorilla tracking! Be sure to bring a rain jacket in case it rains = or gets=20 colder, weather is unpredictable, it can rain any time. Otherwise, just = go=20 there! Consider that visiting gorillas in Africa brings = revenue=20 to the local community and gives them an incentive to protect the = forest. Above=20 all, for all Uganda Safaris, mountain Gorilla Trekking is an = amazing=20 experience to see these beautiful gentle giant creatures (Apes) in their = natural=20 environment (wild).
Frankfurt Declaration on Gorilla Conservation
Marking the =E2=80=9CUN Year of the Gorilla = 2009=E2=80=9D, representatives=20 of gorilla range states and donor states, the UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes = Survival=20 Partnership (GRASP), other UN agencies, intergovernmental and = non-governmental=20 organisations, scientists, conservation experts and the private sector = met for a=20 symposium on gorilla conservation at Zoo Frankfurt in Germany on 9 and = 10 June=20 2009 as one way to sustainable development of Gorilla = Tours in=20 Africa.
Background to mountain gorilla conservation
It has been internationally approved that for any one to take a Rwanda tour in = Africa, he=20 or she must not miss to see the mountain Gorillas. African Mountain = Gorillas are=20 internationally classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the = IUCN=20 Red List. All gorilla species are protected by law both nationally in = the ten=20 range states, as well as internationally through listings of Gorilla = gorilla and=20 Gorilla beringei on Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species = (CMS) and=20 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild = Fauna and=20 Flora (CITES).
Nevertheless, gorillas still face a high risk of extinction and = global=20 population numbers continue to decline sharply. Wide-ranging measures to = address=20 the threats outlined below are required to restore gorilla populations = for=20 future generations.
The forest ecosystems inhabited by gorillas provide services to the = entire=20 world, including carbon sequestration and storage, estimated at several = billion=20 tonnes of carbon dioxide, as well as generating rainfall both locally = and=20 globally. The long-term health of these forests depends on viable = populations of=20 animals such as gorillas, inter alia, to disperse the seeds of the next=20 generation of trees.
The CMS Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats, = which=20 came into force in June 2008, is the first legally binding international = instrument exclusively targeting gorillas and complements the work of = the GRASP=20 partnership. The action plans under the Agreement provide a well-defined = roadmap=20 for gorilla conservation throughout the ten range states. The Frankfurt=20 Declaration aims to support this Agreement. On your next holiday = vacation, Rwanda=20 Tours should be your first priority to visit these Gentled Giant = Apes and=20 contribute to their conservation. Gorilla Trekking Rwanda is the highlight for all=20 Rwanda Trips.
For more info; Email us to:=20 info@thoriumone.net
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