Mr Tom Obong Okello Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Senior warden , has said that illegal trade in apes such as monkeys, baboons and chimpanzees at the Uganda -Congo border is high causing a threat to wildlife.

Located 22 kilometres from Congo, the park hosts about 606 species of birds and over 100 species of wild animals. Okello said that the animals are usually smuggled by women, who tie them on their backs like babies and cross from one country to another without the knowledge of customs officials.

He added that recently, a lady from Congo put a monkey on her back and crossed to Uganda to look for market, providentially, UWA officers trapped her when she was still haggling the price with the buyer

He said that Chimpanzees are eaten in Congo, but he was not sure whether Ugandans sell or eat them.

But with the many Congolese refugees settling in Uganda, there is possibility that Ugandans have also learnt to eat them.

An estimated one to five million tones of bush meat is eaten in the Congo Basin every year. Okello told members of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Conservation Trust on June 10 that apart from poaching animals for meat, bush meat is used to make herbs.
Research has showed that primates may transmit diseases like cholera to man and AIDS

Last week American researchers discovered the origin of HIV/Aids in chimpanzees.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the biggest national parks. The park covers about 6 districts of Kanungu, Kamwenge, Kasese, Rukungiri, Ibanda and Bushenyi district.
The goverment should create measure to stop this activity because chimpanzees are some of the best potential attractions that the country has.

BY NAMISI

Uganda Safari News