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East Africa > Uganda > Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
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Summary
Site characteristics
Kyambura Wildlife Reserve (KWR) which includes the Kyambura gorge is located south of Lake George and east of Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), where the Kazinga Channel leaves the lake, and flows towards Lake Albert (Zwick et al., 1997). Natural barriers formed by Kazinga Channel and Kyambura gorge make it possible to isolate KWR from QENP, however both park and reserve are jointly managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority as part of Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (UWA, 2012).
KWR was first gazette as a Controlled Hunting area in 1962 and then raised to of a Game Reserve in 1965 (UWA, 2023). It was used for licensed hunting and cropping however due to civil unrest between 1970s and 1980s, level of uncontrolled hunting increased sharply, which lead to the demise of many big game mammals (Zwick et al., 1997). After the Uganda Wildlife Statute of 1996 changed the name of all game reserves to wildlife reserves, the reserve became formally known as the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and hunting concession was terminated in 1999 due to illegal hunting (UWA, 2012).
KWR terrain is characterized by small hills, lying between an altitude of 700- 1,1 00m. It has about 7 volcanic craters with both saline and fresh water (Zwick et al., 1997). The Kyambura Gorge created due to faulting activities cuts into a gentle savannah landscape with Kyambura River flowing inside the gorge. The gorge covers a distance of 16kms with the highest steep side being 100 metres from the river floor and spanning a varying breadth of 50-150 meters. The vegetation is a riverine forest consisting mainly of Cynometra sp. and Ficus sp. (Kruger et al., 1998). Forest grades into a swamp forest and papyrus swamp near the mouth of Kyambura river. The eastern border follows Buhindagi river from Lake George, south-east to Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve (Zwick et al., 1997), where it forms an important migratory link known as Kyambura Gorge-Kasyoha Kitomi corrido while the north is bordered by savannah grassland (UWA, 2012)
KWR has ecosystem similar to QENP, thus hosting almost similar fauna which include mammals such as hippopotamus, lions, leopard, elephant, buffalo, a variety of antelope and other small ungulates (uwa, 2023). A total of 332 bird species were reported by Zwick et al (1997).
Kyambura Gorge is noted for its relatively high concentration of primates which include the chimpanzees hence famously referred to as the valley of apes by many tourists. The chimpanzees at the gorge are said to form one community of less than 30 individuals (UWA, 2012), which is said to be isolated after corridors connecting it to larger forests like Kalinzu and Maramagambo were cleared, raising concerns of inbreeding and mutations.
Table 1. Basic site information for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Species | Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
| Area | 157 |
| Coordinates | Lat: -0.11037 , Lon: 30.18194 |
| Type of site | Conservation area |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical swamp forest, Savanna, Grassland, "Wetlands (lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, marshes)" |
| Type of governance | Governance by government |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii | 55.05 (30-70) | Kyambura Wildlife Reserve | Line transects | Plumptre, Cox & Mugume 2003) | Survey classified site as a low density site hence density estimates were not possible. Only 50 nest building chimpanzees were estimated by study |
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1.2 Small-holder farming | Present (unknown severity) | Intensive cultivation along the Kyambura River restricting favorable habitats for chimpanzees (WCS, 2008) | 1990- Ongoing |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present (unknown severity) | Logging and harvesting of wood has reduced abundance of fig trees which are critical to survival of primates in such savanna habitats (WSC, 2008) | 2008- Ongoing |
| 5.1.2 Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | Poaching for commercial and subsistence use, using firearms (including automatic weapons such as the AK47), wire snares, nets and various types of foot traps (UWA, 2012), High intensity registered between 1970s -1980 due to civil unrests (Zwick et al., 1997). Risk of chimpanzees being ensnared or trapped by traps made for other animals. | 1970-Ongoing | |
| 4 Transportation & service corridors | 4.1 Roads & railroads | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | The growing road network and power line, cutting through the Kyambura gorge corridor and its escarpment banks that links Kyambura and Kasyoha-Kitomi, make deep intrusions into the underground riparian forest that is a home to chimpanzees. | 1997-ongoing |
| 4 Transportation & service corridors | 4.2 Utility & service lines | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | The hydropower projects was proposed for development in 2011 (UWA, 2012), constructed in 2017 and made operational in 2019 | 2017-ongoing |
| 6 Human intrusions & disturbance | 6.2 War, civil unrest & military exercises | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | civil unrest between 1970s and early 1980s | 1970-1980 |
| 7 Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Low (up to 30% of population affected) | The fires are mostly started by poachers who use fires as a means of hunting. Other sources of fires include un extinguished cigarette butts and fires originating from community farmland or intentionally set by the community members (UWA, 2012) | 2012- 0ngoing |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Counter-wildlife crime | 2.13 Provide sustainable alternative livelihoods; establish fish- or domestic meat farms | Diversifying local livelihoods and improving smart crop husbandry under The Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project | Volcanoes Safaris and Volcanoes Safaris Partnership, Jane Goodall Institute Uganda Trust, | 2009-Ongoing |
| 8 Permanent presence | 8.2 Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | UWA establised the Kyambura base camp | Uganda Wildlife Authority | 1997- Ongoing |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.9 Resettle illegal human communities (i.e., in a protected area) to another location | A group of subsistence farmers from around reserve an from southern Uganda annexed land in south-east of the reserve. These encroachers evicted in 1992 | Zwilling Safari AG Limited | 1970-1922 |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.4 Create natural habitat patches (including corridors) | Volcano Safaris in Kyambura, are buying off communities in the corridor that links Kyambura Gorge to Kasyoha Kitomi Forest Reserve | Volcano Safaris, Uganda Wildlife Authority | 2012-Ongoing |
| 5.6 Habitat restoration (e.g., tree planting) | Restoration this ecosystem by planting over 6000 trees as a way of recovering the vegetation, in corridors such as Kyambura Gorge-Kasyoha Kitomi corrido | Volcano Safaris, Uganda Wildlife Authority | 2012-Ongoing | |
| 4 Education & awareness | 4.1 Educate local communities about apes and sustainable use | Expanding community outreach programs through the Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots program and the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Community Centre, teaching them of the benefits of tourism and the natural value of the wildlife diversity in the area. | Volcanoes Safaris and Volcanoes Safaris Partnership, Jane Goodall Institute Uganda Trust, | 2021-Ongoing |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.1 Create buffer zones around protected ape habitat | South-east part of the reserve is protected as a wilderness zone, receiving minimal disturbance | Uganda Wildlife Authority | 2012-Ongoing |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat | Area gazetted as a wildlife reserve in 1966
Area is considered as an Important Bird Area (IBA) (UWA, 2012: Zwick et al., 1997) |
BirdLife International | 1997-Ongoing |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Challenges | Specific challenges | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.2 Lack of staff | (UWA,2012) | 2011-Ongoing |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.7 Lack of infrastructure | (UWA,2012) | 2011-Ongoing |
| 5 Ecological context | 5.1 Ecological constraints (e.g., susceptibility to climate change, difficult terrain) | (UWA,2012) | 2012-Ongoing |
Enablers
Table 6. Enablers reported for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Enablers | Specific enablers | Source | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.1 Sufficient staff | (UWA,2012) | 2011-Ongoing |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.4 Adequate data to inform and evaluate conservation actions | (UWA,2012) | Near future |
| 2 Resources and capacity | 2.6 External partnerships that add expertise or resources | (UWA,2012) | 2012-Ongoing |
Research activities
The prevalence and diagnostics of Entodiniomorphid Ciliate Troglocorys cava in populations of wild chimpanzees (Pomajbíková et al., 2011)
Prevalence of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Chimpanzees (Rudicell et al., 2011)
influence of chimpanzees on guereza group size and composition (Kruger et al., 1998)
Documented behaviours
Table 7. Behaviours documented for Kyambura Wildlife Reserve
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
Relevant datasets
References
Katswera, J., Mutekanga, N. M., & Twesigye, C. K. (2022). Wildlife Corridors and Regional Biodiversity Conservation around Selected Wildlife Protected Areas in Uganda.
Krüger, O., Affeldt, E., Brackmann, M., & Milhahn, K. (1998). Group size and composition of Colobus guereza in Kyambura Gorge, southwest Uganda, in relation to chimpanzee activity. International Journal of Primatology, 19, 287-297.
Pomajbíková, K., Petrželková, K. J., Petrášová, J., Profousová, I., Kalousová, B., Jirků, M., ... & Modrý, D. (2012). Distribution of the entodiniomorphid ciliate Troglocorys cava Tokiwa, Modrý, Ito, Pomajbíková, Petrželková, & Imai,(Entodiniomorphida: Blepharocorythidae) in wild and captive chimpanzees. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 59(1), 97-99.
Rudicell, R. S., Piel, A. K., Stewart, F., Moore, D. L., Learn, G. H., Li, Y., ... & Hahn, B. H. (2011). High prevalence of simian immunodeficiency virus infection in a community of savanna chimpanzees. Journal of virology, 85(19), 9918-9928.
UWA. (2012). Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Kigezi Wildlife Reserve. General Management Plan (2011 - 2021). Kampala, Uganda
Zwick, K.L (Ed.), Stubblefield, L., Allan, C., Sivell, D., Lloyd, J., and Cunneyworth, P. 1997. Methods Manual. Frontier Protected Areas Project Baseline Surveys Programme. The Society for Environmental Exploration, London & Uganda WiKampala.
Page created by: Steven Joel Basiibye basiibyestevens5@gmail.com Date: 2024-11-20