Following the completion of the lion census in Murchison Falls National Park in April, Makerere University in collaboration with the Southern University of Science and Technology, China and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have embarked on another large carnivore census in Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

The week-long activity aims at providing scientific and practical skills needed to rigorously estimate the population density and abundance of large carnivores with a focus on the lions.

Awarding a certificate after the lion study and census in Murchison falls national park in April from left; Tutilo Mudumba of Makerere university, Aggrey Rwesibwa of UWA, Alex Braczkowski, Nic Eliot and Arjun Gopalaswamy from India. Photo by Julius Luwemba

The lion census in Queen Elizabeth national park will commence from August 24 to September. 

It will be facilitated by renowned big cat ecologist Dr. Tutilo Mudumba of Makerere university together with Dr. Arjun Gopalaswamy from India and Dr. Alexander Braczkowski representing Southern University of Science and Technology among others.

Under the supervision of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the same team of scientists carried out a lion census in the Murchison Falls National Park in April. 

A young male lion, Panthera leo, yawns while resting in the branches of a sycamore fig tree with his sister, during the recent census in Queen Elizabeth national park. Photo by Alex Braczkowski

"The survey was immense; we covered nearly 15,000 kilometres of the park during our search effort. We are in the process of analysing the data for Murchison falls with Makerere, Snares to Wares organisation, and UWA staff," explained Dr. Braczkowski.

According to the last census carried out by Braczkowski and his team in 2018, there were 72 lions estimated to be left in Queen Elizabeth national park. 

Another lion census shall be carried out in Kidepo valley national park later this year. 

The census program that will start on Wednesday in Queen Elizabeth national park, will also train over 50 researchers, students and other stakeholders.

It will include theoretical and statistical underpinnings about science-based monitoring of large felid populations, practical field techniques including cyber-tracker software, field protocols, field-based photography, and individual identification kits among others. 

The exercise has been made free of charge for all the targeted learners.