Uganda: Lions Return to Mburo National Park
Gerald Tenywa
12 January 2009

Kampala — THREE lions have been sighted in Lake Mburo National Park, a decade after they were declared extinct in the protected area that lies nearest to Kampala.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), observations by park authorities, aid workers and lion ecologists have indicated that three lions have migrated into the park.

"It is going to be monitored to gather data in order to guide management on the most suitable decision," said Sam Mwandha, the director of conservation at UWA.

Mwandha said a number of theories have come up to explain where the lions came from, but he ruled out the possibility that the lion survived the extermination of the big cats that raged until the last lion was killed in the late 1990s.

He said the lion probably came from Sango Bay in Rakai district, which still harbours forest elephants, buffaloes, sitatungas, bush pigs and antelopes.

"The last lion was seen in 1997 and for sure there was no lion living in Mburo at the turn of this decade," said Mwandha.

Mburo used to be connected to an expansive forest, wetland and grasslands of Sango Bay in Rakai, which stretches up to the Kagera region in northern Tanzania.

Dr. Ludwig Siefert, a Makerere University lecturer and a lion ecologist, encountered the lion on December 16, but could not dart because of the terrain and thickets that provided cover for the lion. Darting is the shotting of an animal with a tranquilizer gun.


Siefert also noted that there were repeated and consistent calls from a lioness, which is suspected to be preparing to deliver or has already delivered.

Earlier reports indicated that two-aid workers had seen two lionesses around the ranches outside the park.

He also said the population of lions were either hunted down or poisoned by herdsmen who wanted to acess the grazing grounds of the park.