The KITOMI FOREST CONSERVATION Project

The Kasyoha –Kitomi forest is part of the network of protected areas that form the largest area of protected land in the Albertine Rift. The diversity of the region is fantastic and Kitomi Forest contributes a great deal to that. Kitomi provides critical habitat for over 350 chimpanzee and 300 elephants.

In 2000 it became apparent that encroachment and illegal logging within the thin connection between Kitomi Forest and Kyambura Wildlife Reserve (which forms part of QE) was threatening to sever this 400km˛ of vital habitat from QE. The implications of this are very big. The chimpanzee population of the region would become separated making two populations unviable. Also this area is a critical seasonal resource for the elephants of the central sector of QE. Already elephants are being forced to pass through protected area ‘farmland’, destroying crops as they go, just to reach an area that they have always used.

The importance of this connection with a great diversity of fauna and flora is great and so far little has been done about it.

Initially UCF teamed up with the Jane Goodall Institute towards removing snares within Kitomi and recording evidence of wildlife. However, after a feasibility study it has become abundantly clear that the connection is the primary concern. Subsequently funding is being sought to purchase large tracts of land around the connection to safe guard the wildlife, forestry and local farmers from negative interaction. Later the project will revert to setting up a ranger post and ecotourism project to protect and support the region and its indigenous peoples.

The primary aim of the KFC is to:

Provide measures to safeguard a viable and long term connection between the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Kasyoha – Kitomi Forest.

The secondary aims of KFC are to:

• Remove illegal snares and traps within the Kitomi forest region.
• Produce GPS records of locations of the above.
• Record and report on other illegal activities within the forest (logging, gold mining)
• Record wildlife observations (both direct and indirect) and other key ecological indicators whilst carrying out the above.
• Report all findings to all stakeholders, including Government Institutions and local communities.

The project will concentrate on the Kasyoha - Kitomi Forest Reserve, Bushenyi District and Western Uganda

POACHING

Poaching is carried out in many ways but the most indiscriminate is the use of snares. Any animals can get caught up in snares and the impact on the forest and its ecology can be extreme. The impact of commercial hunting on forest mammals has yet to be fully determined, but current information indicates that most hunting of primates is unsustainable (Fa et al., 1995; NEMA, 1999). While the hunting of primates, particularly chimpanzees, is not common in Uganda, hunting of other forest mammals, such as duikers and bush pigs is.

Two of the most highly protected mammalian species in the region, the chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes schweinfurthii) and the elephant (Loxondata africana africana) are once again becoming victims of snares more frequently. There is currently little or no law enforcement or knowledge of the extent of damage or numbers of snares within Kitomi.

CHIMPANZEES

One of the many males that have lost their limbs to snares in Kalinzu Forest Reserve. Photo taken by Furuichi

Much of the hunting carried out in Kitomi is done by setting snares or jaw traps in order to catch antelopes, suids and hippopotamus. Most of these snares are made from wire (Waller & Reynolds, 2001) and as chimpanzees walk through the forest, their hands or feet may become trapped in the snare (Waller & Reynolds, 2001). As they struggle to get free the snares tighten and the animal experiences a large loss of blood, starvation, extreme pain, stress and if they are lucky they escape with the loss of the limb.

Chimpanzee populations are found in 22 different forest blocks along the western border of Uganda. Of these, six hold more than 75% of the total population of chimpanzees in Uganda. They are Budongo Forest Reserve, Bugoma Forest Reserve, Kibale National Park, Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Maramagambo Forest (inside Queen Elizabeth National Park) and Kalinzu Forest Reserve. These six forests collectively house an estimated 3,300 chimpanzees. Chimpanzee biomass (number per km) for Kibale and Budongo average 85-89kg/km2 (Chapman et al., 1999). It would be less in other forests where the density per km2 is not as high as Kibale. Remaining chimpanzees are found in small numbers in isolated forest pockets between these larger forest blocks.

ELEPHANTS

A young elephant with a snare around it trunk

The Queen Elizabeth National Park elephants are recovering in numbers after some of Africa's most severe poaching pressure (Abe, 1992 & Keigwin, 2001). The number of elephants fluctuates between 1000 to 1800 due to the movement and transmigration into and out of the QENP to the DRC and the adjoining forests. The last aerial total count of QENP accounted for only 998 elephants (Rwetsiba, 2002), but this number is regarded as a minimum within QENP at anyone time (Keigwin pers comm.). QENP now harbours the largest and most viable number of elephants within Uganda. However the adjoining areas and connections to QENP are under continual poaching pressure and the incidents of elephants being caught in snares is increasing rapidly. Elephants do use Kitomi forest, but how frequently and how important a resource it is to them is not known.

Without knowing whether the elephants using these areas are the Bush elephant (Loxondata africana africana), the Forest elephant (Loxondata africana cyclotis) or a hybrid of the two, the improvement to their safety is paramount in order for the above to be found out and their future secured.

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