UGANDA'S FOREST POINT, BOGOMA,BUDONGO AND BWINDI FOREST RESERVES.

Uganda the “pearl of Africa” had a relatively sound environmental record. During Amin’s regime (1971-1979), the forests suffered from civil and political strife. From 1971 to 1987, Uganda lost 50 percent of its forests, including virtually all of its primary forests. Between 1990 and 2005, Uganda lost 26.3 percent of its remaining forest cover, and deforestation continues today at a rate of 2.2 percent per year, mostly due to subsistence farming, cutting for fuel wood, and colonization by the burgeoning population.

While Uganda is famous for its mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, it is home to some of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in Africa. More than 5,000 plant species are found in the country along with 345 mammals, 1,015 birds, 165 reptiles, and 43 amphibians. Today very little of Uganda's forest cover is considered primary forest by the U.N. In spite of this, more than 25 percent of the country is under some form of protection.

Bugoma Forest Reserve covers a total surface area of 41,144 hectares. Eco- Tourism in the reserve is being spearheaded by African Nature Conservation Expeditions, an international private firm with vast experience in tourism development.

 Bugoma forest reserve is important because it acts as the migration corridor between Kibale and Murchison falls National parks. But shockingly this migration block for faunas (chimps and elephants and others) plus floras life are seriously endangered by human’s egoism. The reserve is unprotected for agriculture (Tobacco) growing in non-sustainable manner as shown in the photos below.

  Pictorial view of disastrous deforestation in Bugoma forest reserve.

Budongo is the biggest forest reserve (covers an area of 793 km²) with older mahogany and iron forest trees. It is the largest Mahogany forest in East Africa with trees growing up to 80 meters. It habits 600-800 Chimpanzees under Jane Good all research centre and many other rare species of birds, including the Lemon Bellied Crombec, white-thighed hornbill and puvel’s Illadopsis and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher. Kaniyo-Pabidi and Busingiro Ecotourism sites are the major tourist sites within the Reserve. This reserve is positive example in Uganda and has become of great interest to clients for chimp trekking. On this experience tourist not only spot chimps but also other primates, birds and floras are nearly exposed and become informative and interesting as the experienced guides of Destination Jungle explain. Destination Jungle support Boomu women group and chimp trekking as effort.