Description

Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa.It has borders with Kenya, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Rwanda. The southern part of the country includes a large portion of Lake Victoria. The country gained independence from Britain on the 9th of October 1962 after a long period of being a protectorate since 1894.

Tourism in Uganda is focused on Uganda’s spectacular scenery and wildlife. The country’s two main parks, the Murchison Falls National Park and the Queen Elizabeth National Park are popular tourist destinations. However more recently there has been considerable growing interest in the tropical forests. The keystone of this new tourist industry and development has been the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the south west of the country. This national park holds and protects over half of the world’s mountain gorillas.A trek to view these mountain gorillas, of which there are about 400, has now become the country’s most popular tourist activity. Visitors have been allowed to view mountain gorillas since 1993 but the development of this aspect of tourism and the habituation of the mountain gorillas to humans has proceeded very carefully. The Uganda Wildlife Authority manages the numbers of tourists and time spent by the tourist with the gorillas exceedingly well, being very careful not to disrupt the welfare of the gorillas with human disturbance and disease.

This travel documentary entitled ‘Shoebills & Gorillas’ concentrates on two areas on great interest for the visitor to Uganda.

Filming first in the wetland region just south of Entebbe, we go off in search of the elusive shoebill. This is a very large stork-like bird that derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill. It can be found in the swamps of East Africa from Sudan to Zambia. But here in the Mabamba Wetlands, there is really a very good chance of a sighting. Of course a visit to Uganda must include a journey into the tropical rainforest of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. We choose the village of Buhoma, just on the outskirts of the Park, from which to make the trek into the undergrowth to attempt to track one or more of the habituated gorillas families that roam in the forest. Everything is carefully managed under the expertise of the guides and rangers of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. An opportunity to see the magnificent animals cannot be missed.

Running time: approx. 25 mins.

Tags: Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, mountain gorilla, Shoebill, Mabamba Wetlands