I recently listened to an interview on the radio by two conservation activists talking about the state of wildlife trafficking globally. It made depressing listening. High on the agenda was the issue of ivory and the butchery that’s involved in removing tusks from elephants. One of the interviewees said to the presenter, “imagine having your […]
May 18, 2012
The door to Masindi Prison is grey, heavy and made of steel. I lifted the door knocker outside and banged hard, after a few seconds I heard the jangling of keys and the sound of a bolt sliding across a latch. The door swung open to reveal a smartly dressed guard wearing a red beret […]
May 14, 2012
Kalegeja is only 4km from Biiso. The road there is quiet and discreet and the village is tiny. Everyone knows everything about each other and the accepted practice of pit-sawing is seen as one man’s way of overcoming poverty and providing for his family. The Budongo Forest is on their doorstep, and the reserve is […]
April 18, 2012
It’s taken a while but I’ve finally had my first encounter with a pit-sawyer. It wasn’t hostile so I wasn’t chased out of the forest by people brandishing spears (stop panicking Mum and Dad!!). It was in fact instigated by me and the man I questioned is retired and pushing 70. They call him Jasonga […]
April 1, 2012
Up until now I have had no evidence other than hearsay (albeit reliable hearsay) that Cordia was being logged to fuel the boat/canoe building trade. Today I came across more pit sawing sites in N5 and in one of them we found an oar. It must have been about 15 foot in length. These […]
March 19, 2011
The influx of chimpanzees being taken in by African sanctuaries and rescue centres shows no sign of letting up. Despite the tireless efforts of conservationists and scientists to safeguard these apes in the wild, many new arrivals share a common bond, they are the by-products of either the illegal bushmeat trade or pet trade. Adult […]
October 30, 2013
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