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Showing posts from September, 2020

Uganda fronts endangered golden monkeys as new tourist attraction

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  Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is host to the endangered golden monkeys, a new tourist attraction. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is part of the Virunga Massif is where "gold meets silver," a tourism marketing catch phrase meaning a place where the golden monkeys coexist with the mountain gorilla sliverbacks . Mgahinga is also home to the endangered mountain gorillas .  " Golden monkeys are special in that they have an outstanding color that is nearly to the gold color, they are unique in that you can only track them from the Virunga Massif," Joyleen Tugume, a ranger-guide at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) told Xinhua in a recent visit to the park. UWA is a state owned conservation agency. High up the ridges of the volcanic Mount Muhabura , which is part of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the golden monkeys feed on largely bamboo shoots. They live in troops of about 100, led by an Alpha male, according to UWA. Uganda has one habituated troop

Trip to Uganda’s new tourism city

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  Kabarole is one of the most picturesque districts in Uganda and the declaration of Fort Portal as a tourism city was long overdue. The district is known for its breathtaking natural attractions such as crater lakes, Amabere ga Nyinam Mwiru and national parks.   The scenic crater lakes are on top of several hills and according to local tour literature, they are more than 50. For this trip, I started with nearby Ssaka crater lake in the North Division of the city, which is about nine kilometres. We were there in 15 minutes.    Before getting to the lake, you first hike up a hill and for about half kilometre, you cannot help but notice the change in temperature because the higher one goes, the cooler it becomes.  The first lake was dry and it looked intimidatingly deep. It is surrounded by green pasture and shrubs,  which attracts cows and goats that graze nonchalantly, ignoring tourists. These four lakes are separated by hills giving the area a picturesque look. Next, m

Botswana parliament rejects call to arm game rangers

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  Botswana’s National Assembly has rejected a call to rearm its game rangers that was driven by a surge in rhinoceros poaching in recent years. Guns were taken away from the rangers in 2018, but an opposition party lawmaker had moved a motion to rearm the wildlife officers. Botswana’s legislators voted against a proposal brought before the National Assembly by an opposition member of Parliament, Kgoborego Nkawana. The motion to rearm wildlife officers was defeated Friday, with all ruling party members voting against it. Nkawana had argued recent poaching incidents necessitated equipping the rangers with guns. “It is a big loss,” Nkawana said. “This would have been an opportunity to save our rhinos and other animals, particularly up in the north. Maybe over time we can see how we can address the government over that issue.” Most of the poaching takes place in the thickets of Botswana’s vast Okavango Delta. Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism P

Kenzo named Uganda’s tourism ambassador

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  Singer Edirisa Musuuza alias Eddy Kenzo has been officially named as Uganda’s tourism ambassador. The singer was unveiled by the minister of state for Tourism , Godfrey Kiwanda during a news conference on Tuesday.   Kenzo will join hands with the tourism sector and Uganda at large to revive the marketing of the country’s tourist attractions and the destination on an international scene. According to Kiwanda,Uganda is not a one man’s responsibility noting that there have been other personalities that have taken on showcasing the beauty of the Pearl on their own personal made fame which are a resource to utilise in marketing Uganda. “Eddy Kenzo’s Music has been that Instrumental voice that’s restored hope, built confidence and showcased our strength to move forth(Sitya loss, Stamina, Tweyagale etc),”Kiwanda said “He can help in promoting our tourism through the project ‘ #DestinationUganda ,” Kiwanda added. Kenzo is expected to use his brand to market and promote popular