Uganda Lifts Leopard Hunt Ban

Below is a follow-up story from the CITES meetings in the Netherlands earlier this year. SCI attended those meetings and reported these events at that time. At CITES, the Republic of Uganda requested the body to allow the hunting of Uganda’s leopard population, 1. for the exclusive purpose of sport hunting for skins for personal use to be exported as personal effects; and 2. with an annual export quota of 28 leopards for the whole country. According to the story below, Uganda seems to be moving forward.

“An international scientific body has approved Uganda's proposal to lift the 1979 ban on Leopard hunting, the commissioner for Wildlife Conservation at the Ministry of Tourism Trade and Industry has said. This means tourists in Uganda can now sport hunt 28 leopards per year. Mr Justus Tindigarukayo-Kashagire, who was speaking at a public dialogue at Makerere University on Thursday, presented a paper on the "Implications of sport hunting on the status of leopards in Uganda". The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) gave the green light after a presentation of the proposal to lift the ban by officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry and Uganda Wildlife Authority. CITES is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Mr. Mapesa said sport hunting of leopards would make them more valuable rather than being poisoned or killed by the farmers and left to rot. Tourists will also pay for sport hunting the leopards.”

Source: The Monitor / AllAfrica.com / Safari Club International