Towards the end of last month, June, the Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Honorable Col Tom Butime together with the UWEC executive director, Mr Musinguzi James, unveiled the Zakayo Monument/Statue.
Zakayo, which was the oldest chimpanzee at the UWEC – Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, died in 2018 at the age of 58 years. Zakayo was with no doubt the prime attraction at UWEC and many nature lovers were saddened with the grieving news of its death back in 2018.
However, as a way of commemorating the late legendary chimpanzee, the administration at UWEC came up with an idea of constructing a statue of Zakayo as a way of honor and paying homage to the fallen chimpanzee that once lured mammoth number of tourists. Tourists at UWEC will therefore be able to visit the Zakayo Monument/Statue and will be allowed to take pictures from there.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre is also planning to open its doors after over three months of closure due to corona virus (covid-19) outbreak. UWEC vows to follow all the guidelines that were put by the Ministry of Health regarding this life-threatening disease – corona virus on course of its reopening.
On the course of its reopening, UWEC makes it clear that all its visitors will be checked their temperatures before entering in and it is also a mandate for every visitor to sanitize their hands, wear face masks, self distancing, among other guidelines.
Statistically over 70% of the funds that operate the UWEC come from gate collections; therefore its reopening will smoothen its operations, more so during this crisis.
According Mr Musinguzi James – UWEC executive director, UWEC will carry out the reopening in phases by allowing a specific number of people to enter the zoo at a time. It is however said that some of the activities that were carried out at UWEC will not be opened at the beginning such as animal interactions – wary of the possible spread of the virus to animals like chimpanzees, which are of course vulnerable to the disease.
On course of reopening UWEC, the administration also launched the newly installed CCTV cameras which will be used for surveillance and security for visitors, staff and animals. The CCTV cameras will be used for several functions at the UWEC including the monitoring of animal behavior in the exhibits, and also aiding conducting of research, among others.
The Tourism Minister, Tom, also urged Ugandans to embrace domestic tourism such that the UWEC can operate steadily especially during this critical condition of corona virus when the airport is still closed and foreign tourists can’t fly in. The minister also promised to apply hard work in promotion of domestic tourism amidst the closure of airports over covid-19.