Rwanda expect Kampala to fulfill its obligations on revenue sharing after a group of gorillas in Volcanoes national park (North) crossed to neighboring Uganda earlier this week, an official source revealed Thursday in Kigali.
The Rwanda Development Board – RDB’s Chief Tourism Officer, Belise Kariza explained that currently gorillas freely move within the Greater Virunga Landscape which is comprised of three member countries including Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“Through a cross border collaborative initiative , when gorillas cross to another country and are visited by tourists, revenues earned are shared between the two countries,” she said.
The Rwandan official was reacting to the latest reports by Uganda media that 20 gorillas from the Hirwa family (in Rwanda) crossed over to Mt. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda.
The program’s revenue is shared 50-50 between Rwanda and Uganda when gorillas are tracked across either border, according to the existing agreement.
Mgahinga is part of the Greater Virunga Landscape which is also part of the Albertine Rift. It is richest in endemic and threatened species including all of the world’s mountain gorillas, grauers gorillas, and chimpanzees.
Containing 8 national parks, 4 forest reserves, and 3 wildlife reserves, this landscape straddles the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
” Rwanda’s conservation success is there for all to see (…) It is not surprising that it’s historically more common gorillas to cross to Rwanda from Uganda and vice-versa,” Kariza said.
Money collected from the sale of permits for Hirwa gorilla currently living in Uganda is shared 50-50 between Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Much as a Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500, Hirwa gorilla family will now be visited for $600 i.e $300 for Uganda and $300 for Rwanda.
CU/as/APA