Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has commenced the translocation of up to 200 Uganda kobs from Kabwoya wildlife reserve and 50 African buffaloes from Murchison falls national park respectively to Ajai wildlife reserve. Kabwoya wildlife reserve covers 97 sq.km and is part of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area.
According to the UWA wildlife census (2018), the reserve has a population of over 7,000 Uganda kobs, which is almost exceeding the carrying capacity. As such, it has become a donor protected area used by UWA when there is need to restore kobs in other places. This is one of the strategic interventions to improve and maintain the ecological integrity of protected areas. UWA is mandated to manage all wildlife in and outside the protected areas as provided for under the Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019 which include 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves, 5 community wildlife management areas, and 13 wildlife sanctuaries.
Ajai wildlife reserve which was established in 1962 in Madi Okolo district in West Nile sub-region was once home to a large number of mammal species including southern white rhinos, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, lions, and African elephants. However, Uganda’s wildlife resource was decimated during the dark times of Idi Amin and Milton Obote in the 1970s and 80s. The conflict in northern Uganda (1996 -2008) also aggravated poaching which had negative effects including extinction of rhinos and reduction of wildlife populations in Ajai among other protected areas across the country. The government of Uganda with careful stewardship and strong law enforcement has helped rebuild the wild animal population for the last 3 decades.
Leopard in Ajai wildlife reserve
The wildlife resource is now in good shape in areas like Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley national parks, where elephant numbers are reportedly increasing. The establishment of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in 2005 has also helped to reintroduce rhinos into the country. Starting with six the number of rhinos has multiplied to 38 individuals. Despite the recovery of wildlife population trend, Ajai wildlife reserve has remained with less than the desirable number of wildlife. The protected area has an area of 166 sq.km yet there are less than 50 Uganda kobs and fewer buffaloes.
According to UWA executive director Sam Mwandha, the translocation efforts underscores UWA’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. “By reintroducing the species to Ajai wildlife reserve, UWA is not enhancing the ecological balance but also setting stage for the successful reintroduction of rhinos in the near future.” This is hoped to diversify tourism benefits across the safari regions as well as promote Uganda wildlife safaris to the under visited West Nile.
Given that Ajai has a limited number of visitors, UWA has been drawing some revenue from popular destinations such as Queen Elizabeth national park to develop tourism infrastructure in the reserve which include a tourist information center and a wildlife ranger station. Ajai wildlife reserve is open for visiting and offers unique activities including game drives, nature walks, and sport hunting for those intending to shoot bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests, and hippos.
Flora and fauna
Ajai wildlife reserve lies to the west of the white Nile north of Lake Albert. There are three tributaries which include Acha, Ala, and Linya rivers that drain the reserve and create a large permanent swamp and island. The swamp comprises papyrus sedges (cyperus papyrus). Flooding takes place and the island is often cut off from the mainland during the rainy season in June and January. The vegetation in the rest of the reserve consists of cockspur grasslands (Echinochloa grassland), acacia bushwillows (combretum) and terminalia tree species. The reserve is home to antelope species including Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda kobs, bushbucks. Among other mammal species include hippos and buffaloes.
Ajai was designated as an Important Bird Area in 2001 given that it supports a variety of bird species including four Lake Victoria Endemics which include Papyrus Gonolek (Laniarius mufumbiri) and the Shoebill stork (Balaeniceps rex). Among other bird species found in Ajai wildlife reserve include the Red-throated Bee-eater (Merops bulocki), Black-breasted Barbet (Pogonornis rolleti), Bronze-tailed Starling (Lamprotornis chalcurus), Grey-headed Oliveback (Delacourella capistrata), Red-pate Cisticola (Cisticola ruficeps), Emin’s Shrike (Lanius gubernator), Heuglin’s Masked Weaver (Ploceus heuglini), Black-rumped Waxbill (Estrilda troglodytes), Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser superciliosus), Piapiac (Ptilostomus afer), Purple Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus), and the White-crested Turaco (Tauraco leucolophus.
Those intending to visit, Ajai wildlife reserve is 385 km (7-hour drive) north west of Kampala, 110km (2-hour drive) north of Murchison falls national park, and 58 km (1-hour) south east of Arua city.
