RESIDENTS NEAR THE PARK NOT HAPPY WITH THEIR BENEFITS

According to the ministry of tourism, wildlife and heritage recordings, the revenue got from gorilla tourism and the whole sector at large, 20% of the entrance fee has been given to the residents and the rest to the national treasury.

For the past 30 years in Uganda, the primates have become one of the top three tourist attractions in the country contributing $662 million in 2010 though it does not show any  poverty they bring  between villages near the reserves and those far away. The wild animals from the parks come and raid people’s farms and livestock therefore leading to reduced food security for house holds. The residents near the park also have a very low social capital.

The gazetting of the parks has led to poverty leaving people with no choice but to invade the protected areas which affects the primates because their environment can affect their existence through getting human diseases.

Poverty is common near the national parks because people rely on natural sources like in Virunga National Park where water is a problem and people are therefore forced to go into the forest to get water. Animals can get diseases like cough and flu when people come near them.

The government has set up plans of extending benefits to the community but at a higher level .They are planning to educate the residents on how to benefit from the little money they receive

The primates help in seed dispersal and protecting then helps in conserving the forest. When the forest get gazette because of these animals, the government forces people out of the park therefore become poor instead of giving them options like Bee keeping and other activities.

GORILLA SAFARI NEWS