Honorary Wildlife Officers visit Murchison Falls CA.

UWA’s Honorary Wildlife Officers have embarked on the Fourdays field tour in MFCA for a familiarization trip.

Led by Capt. Emily Otekati, the team will visit the snare store at the Joint Operations and Command Centre and will taken through Human Wildlife Conflict challenges and mitigations, engage with stakeholders on revenue sharing and other engagements.

The Honorary Wildlife Officers’ field visit in Murchison Falls Conservation Area was successfully concluded.

During their meeting with the UWA staff at the Joint Operation and Command Centre in Mubako, the rangers raised several concerns. These included tax exemptions, the need for greater engagement with political leaders to combat poaching, and a call for the courts to impose appropriate penalties on those apprehended, rather than merely assigning community service as is sometimes the case.

Later, the Honorary Wildlife Officers inspected the electric fence near Mubako, which serves as a method to mitigate Human Wildlife Conflict by preventing animals, particularly elephants, from entering local communities.

The radio show on 100.2 Packwach FM addressed issues related to Human Wildlife Conflict and discussed how communities can coexist peacefully with wildlife, as well as the sharing of revenue and benefits.

Listeners who called into the show voiced their concerns regarding the compensation procedures for those affected by wildlife encroachment that leads to property damage.

They also requested guidance on park boundaries to prevent conflicts with wildlife and law enforcement.

Day three will take us to the oil production and extraction sites operated by Total within the park to evaluate the integration of infrastructure and its environmental impact.

In the afternoon, the team will convene a meeting with the Buliisa District Local Government Authorities (RDC & LC5 Chairperson) and local politicians to discuss policy support, compensation frameworks, and collaborative governance.