33 Elephants Poached in a Period of 6 Months

There are currently 33 elephants that have been recorded poached in the Laikipia Nature Conservancy since the beginning of this year 2012. According to the conservancy director, the poachers use youths that have got no jobs to kill these elephants and pay them some little money for the service they have offered. They also finance fanatic groups in Somalia and the far eastern parts of the world.

A voluntary warden with the Kenya Wildlife Service thinks that the vice has increased because of the redundant lands in the region where the poachers hide. She blames the local people for not working together with the ministry to solve the problem and yet they benefit from the industry at the end of the day and they keep thinking that the wildlife protection is for the rich. She urged the government to take over the idle lands and turn them into conservancies for the local community.

She stressed the point that wildlife is the youth’s future and heritage and that if they keep helping the poachers to kill the animals, they are destroying their own future.  As if poaching is not enough trouble, there are currently so many farms that are setup in the areas that were wildlife corridors something that drives the wildlife out. There were 70 black rhinos early in 1970s but the last two were killed by poachers at Muktan and in this battle one of the conservancy rangers was wounded and the rhinos were transferred to Meru National Park.

Uganda is not Spain

Indeed Uganda, the Pearl of Africa is Not Spain as the Spanish premier allegedly thought! In his text message to the Finance minister, the Spanish Prime Minister provoked an outrageous online debate citing that “…Spain is not Uganda”.

As the Spanish Finance Minister contemplated on heading to bailout negotiations with Eurozone, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy texted: "We're the number four power in Europe, Spain is not Uganda", as he was strengthening his counterpart amidst the economic meltdown of his country. As many Ugandans reacted after the allegations of comparing the economic state of Spain to that of Uganda, The Pearl of Africa has plenty to provide, especially to all Spanish travelers to Uganda.

The beautiful country voted as the country with the happiest, hospitable people in the region of East Africa, the number one tourist destination for the year 2012 by lonely planet, and the 3rd best exhibitor ITB Berlin, 2012 does not only stop at that.

We present to you a destination that is pristine, natural; full of exhilarating tourist activities to venture. Having 50% of the world’s total population of mountain gorillas, over 1200 bird species, spacious national parks for adventurous travelers, spectacularcultural heritage; not forgetting the coolest and naturally moderated climate.

Buganda Tourism Expo; Come and Experience a Diverse Culture with a Common Heritage

Come and join one of our greatest regions in an exhilarating 5th Buganda Tourism Expo dubbed as an "International Cultural Fair", as we celebrate the Golden jubilee. This expo is featuring; art and craft souvenirs, clan exhibition, and entertainment, all under the theme celebrating our cultural diversity.

Useful Information:

Between 24th June - 1st July; 08:00AM - 17:30PM

Activities

Cultural exhibition, wildlife exhibition, royal visits, speeches, family day out

Theme

Celebrating our cultural diversity

  

Useful information

Dates: 15/Jun/2012 – 01/Jul/2012

Venue: Lubiri-Mengo, Kampala

Organizer: Ministry of Tourism, Buganda Government

Contacts

 Email: Click here

 Website: Click here

How to Avoid Malaria While Traveling to Africa

Many would be tourists have failed to conquer their fear of traveling to Africa with many misconceptions. Malaria and mosquito bites are very much feared by these tourists, however Malaria can be avoided on your trip to Africa. Malaria, spread by the Anopheles mosquito, kills millions of people in tropical and sub-tropical Africa every year. As a visitor to Africa you are also at risk of getting this disease. With the right precautions you can minimize your chances of getting malaria.

Here's How:

1. Find out if you are traveling to an area where malaria is endemic. There are very few countries in Africa that are malaria-free, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Visit your doctor or travel clinic at least 6 weeks before your departure and get a prescription for malaria pills (prophylactics). Ask your doctor to provide you with the correct dosage of medicine for both prevention and treatment of malaria. Commonly prescribed malaria prophylactics and treatments include:
• Mefloquine
• Malarone
• Doxycycline
• Fansidar
• Primaquine (sometimes post-travel)
3. Start taking your malaria pills before you depart as instructed by your doctor - usually 1 week (sometimes longer). Make sure you take them exactly on schedule without missing doses. Children under 12 and women who are pregnant should consult their doctors before taking any anti-malarial medications.
4. The best way to avoid malaria is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. The following tips will help you do just that. It's difficult to avoid every single bite and still enjoy your safari or time at the beach, so take malaria prophylactics as well.

Tips for avoiding mosquito bites:

1. Use a mosquito net at night, the most effective are those treated with an insect repellent. Bring one with you, they are very light and will easily fit in your luggage.
2. Spray your room before you go to sleep with insect repellent. A brand called Doom is widely available and very effective in Southern Africa. Mosquito coils are also highly effective and burn for up to eight hours. Place the coil under your bed and try not to step on it if you get up in the middle of the night - it hurts!
3. Stay in rooms with screens on the windows, fans and/or air conditioning.
4. Switch off all lights while you are sleeping since mosquitoes are attracted to light.
5. Avoid wearing strong after-shave or perfume, the smell will attract mosquitoes.
6. Wear long pants and long-sleeved clothing especially around dawn and dusk when the anopheles mosquitoes are most active.

NOTE:

1. It is very important to treat malaria as soon as symptoms arise. Symptoms include chills, fevers, headache, nausea and vomiting. Even if you have the treatment for malaria with you see a doctor as soon as possible so a correct diagnosis can be made.
2. Antimalarial drugs do not prevent you from getting malaria, but they kill the parasites at an early stage of development. This means your bout of malaria will be a lot less severe than if you had never taken pills to begin with.
3. Contrary to many peoples' beliefs, once you get malaria you will not necessarily have recurring episodes of the disease. Malaria is curable as long as you seek treatment as the symptoms occur.
4. A malaria vaccine has not come on the market as yet, although clinical trials are being carried out.
5. Trust the local doctors when on your trip to Africa. They are familiar with the strains of malaria in the area and how to treat the disease effectively.

What You Need

• Anti-malarial drugs
• Insect repellent with DEET
• Mosquito net
• Long-sleeved clothing and trousers

Ol pejeta’s hope to keep the Rhino sub species increases.

The management groups at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy which is situated in the central Kenyan highlands near Nanyuki jumped for joy after they were told about the two out of their four Northern White Rhinos which they brought some years back from a zoo in the Czech Republic were actually seen mating which will help to get the Najin in the family way but that is yet to be confirmed by the vets. This is some kind of achievement to them as it would result into careful matching her with Suni.

Najin gave birth to Fatu about 10 years ago and they are now sure that this subspecies will actually be saved after it has almost no more in all Kenyan parks and conservation areas following those that were killed in Garamba National Park that is why those that were left were transferred from there following the Minister in the Kinshas’s order.  They claimed at the time the regime was able to protect the rare species something that was not true at all and not long afterwards were the last of the species in the wild poached to extinction and this discredited the megalomaniac politician and Kabila’s reign. There are only four of the rare animals available for breeding on Ol Pejeta where they are well protected but they thought they were too old to successfully mate but now, hope fully they will be able to get another cross breed and will ensure the longer term survival of the Northern White Rhino which were seen some time back in Uganda, South Sudan, the Congo and the Central African Republic. Best of luck to Richard Vigne, CEO of Ol Pejeta and his entire team of devoted staff.

Environmental destruction will greatly affect the gorillas.

The leader of tourism section at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said that they expect to get an amount of $ 277 million as revenue from tourism this year and if they are able to get tat amount at the end of the year, that will mean there is an increase of about US$ 26 million from US$ 251 million which was got last year. It should be noted that most of the tourism revenue collected comes in due to the existence of the mountain gorillas as it is the major attraction that Rwanda has got to offer the tourists who visit Rwanda. According to her, gorillas bring in about 90% of total amount that is collected in the national park and in this case these endangered primates attracted over 20,000 visitors last year. There are currently about 480 gorillas that have a home within and around the Virunga Massif which include Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga in Uganda and Virunga in DR Congo. And because there is a high demand from people all over the world to see these gorillas, RDB had to increase the price for the gorilla permits from 500 dollars to 750 dollars for the non residents, the foreigner living with in Rwanda will pay 375 dollars from the 250 dollars while the Rwandans will pay US$ 50 from the US$ 33.

Unfortunately, this kind of joy within the tourism industry might not last that long as the forest where these gorillas are found are being destroyed by humans as they try to find space for settlement and their other human activities.  The destruction of the eco-system will definitely destroy the tourism industry and according to the 2007national forest inventory, it indicates that major threats to forests include illegal tree cutting at 78.3%, charcoal burning at 4.9%, livestock grazing (2.5%), farming activities (1.9%) and bushfires (1.9%) which have got to be addressed to save the forests for the good of the tourism industry. Rwanda had 26% of its land covered with forests in 1993 but in 2004, the area covered by forests had reduced to 19% that is according to the report from the United Nations environment agency UNEP on Rwanda.

This drastic destruction of forests is attributed to the increased harmful human activities as a result of increase in population which is about 3% every year therefore they look out for land to settle and other activities from like agriculture and grazing land. The same problem is affecting Eastern Congo for instance in early in May, 2012, a Congolese rebel group M23 entered these gorilla habitat and set up an operating base at Runyoni, a strategic peak in the Rutshuru territory.

Rwanda has over 40% which is over 151 species out of the 402 mammal species that exist in the whole world that is according to the report from UNEP.  Therefore this means that 11 of the Rwandan mammalian specie which include the mountain gorillas and yet half of them that are still alive in the world are found with the Volcanoes National Park, are under threat from the on going forest destruction.  It is therefore important that the country improve this ecosystem and create a green economy to sustain tourism so said Rica Rwigamba while addressing people on the first day of the Kwita Izina exhibition.