Ugandans plant trees near national park to keep people out of gorillas’ habitat
BWINDI, Uganda (AP) — In the tangled greenery of a Ugandan national park, mountain gorillas sit among the leaves, calmly carrying on as tourists trek into their forest home. Many gorilla families are used to people, but while their population grows, the forest available to them does not. Communities have planted trees for medicine, firewood […]
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda is home to approximately 450 mountain gorillas, which represent nearly half of the remaining global population. The forest habitat of these majestic creatures is expanding, but the forest area available for the gorillas is not. In a bid to alleviate pressure on the gorilla habitats, local communities have taken it upon themselves to plant trees within the park's vicinity.
These trees are primarily sought for medicinal purposes, firewood, and crafting materials. Christina Katushabe, the founder of Change a Life Bwindi, explains that their organization works closely with the Batwa, an Indigenous community, to select tree species for various uses. The Uganda Wildlife Authority distributes seedlings, including medicinal trees, which locals can harvest without harming the gorilla habitat.
Joseph Muhindo, an assistant from the authority, confirms that residents can gather the necessary resources within their own communities, thereby minimizing the need to cut trees within the protected park.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Ugandans plant trees near national park to keep people out of gorillas’ habitat winnipegfreepress.com
