Hunting and pitsawing
We have discussed threats to Budongo’s chimpanzees above, and also in Chapter 10 and
Chapter 11. Here we look at threats across the whole country.
Plumptreet al. (2003) recorded signs of human activity per kilometre walked during
their forest surveys: ‘Encounter rates associated with pitsawing (pitsaw pits, stacked
timber, cut trees for props, porters carrying timber, campsites for pitsawyers) and hunt-
ing (snares, pitfall traps, skinned animals, hunters encountered, nets, dogs) were
summed to provide a measure of the relative abundance of these two threats’ (p. 31).
Fig. 12.4 shows the extent of hunting sign encountered in Budongo Forest. Alas, as
remarked in Chapter 10, Budongo Forest, together with its neighbour, Bugoma Forest,
have much more hunting sign than any of the other forests surveyed. This, together with
the survey results on population sizes, says much about the future of Budongo’s chim-
panzees. These forests are being ravaged by the human population. The level of hunting
is damaging the Budongo chimpanzee population. Fortunately efforts are now under-
way to try to improve the situation, with discussions between UWA and NFA about
employment of anti-poaching rangers. Let us hope that such co-operation will become
a reality in the near future.
Pitsawing activities also cause chimpanzee deaths. In the above survey, Budongo
came out with the most signs of pitsawing activity. Quite apart from their main activity,
pitsawyers need food; their snares put out for duikers and pigs right in the heart of the
forest end up catching chimpanzees. We know the story only too well.
Solutions
We are indeed fortunate in having good data for Uganda. Since the Amin and post-Amin
wars there has been excellent research in Uganda on the problems faced by chim-
panzees. Besides the work described above, high-quality research has also been carried
out by the BFP, by JGI-Uganda, by the Wildlife Conservation Society and by other
people and organizations. But it has to be said that solutions to the problems faced by
chimpanzees remain elusive.
234 The future of Budongo’s chimpanzees
Table 12.5: Estimates of chimpanzee population sizes in major forests with 95% confidence limits
(courtesy of A. Plumptre, WCS, from Plumptre et al. 2003).
Forest Distance Density Population in 95 %
walked (km^2 ) forest confidence
(km) limits
Budongo FR 513.7 1.36 584 356 – 723
Bugoma FR 511.2 1.90 570 424–769
Kagombe FR 165.8 0.71 80 29 – 218
Itwara FR 126.6 1.35 120 67 – 215
Kibale NP 564.1 2.32 1 , 298 817 – 1615
Kasyoha–Kitomi FR 477.7 0.92 370 250 – 530
Kalinzu FR 311.0 1.55 220 120 – 380
Bwindi NP 285.6 0.43 140 49 – 566