So important is the Uganda Kob to the nation that, along with the gray topped crane, it adorns Uganda’s Nationwide Emblem
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has commenced the translocation of 200 Uganda Kobs from Murchison Falls Conservation Space to Kidepo Valley Conservation Space.
30 males and 170 females will likely be translocated from Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve in Murchison Falls Conservation Space and launched into Kidepo Valley Nationwide Park.
That is the second translocation of Kobs to Kidepo Valley Nationwide Park in six years, following the translocation of 110 Kobs to the park.
In 2017 UWA carried out an identical operation as a way to diversify wildlife species in Kidepo Valley Nationwide Park which was replicated in Katonga Wildlife Reserve, Lake Mburo Nationwide Park and Pian Upe Sport Reserve to incorporate the majestic giraffe species.
The Kob inhabitants within the park has since elevated from 4 people in 2017 and is estimated between 350-400 following the 2017 translocation and profitable pure breeding over the past 5 years.
This yr’s translocation operation will see the Kob populations within the park improve to 6 hundred people.
The Govt Director UWA Sam Mwandha stated that the translocation will see the variety of Kob inhabitants improve and multiply sooner within the park which is able to guarantee their long-term survival.
“The present inhabitants of Kobs in Kidepo Valley Nationwide Park just isn’t what we would like, subsequently we have now to strengthen it by taking extra Kobs there. Having Kobs in several parks will play a big position in making certain their long-term survival”, he stated.
The translocation operation was flagged of by the UWA Director for Conservation John Makombo in Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve. He stated that the translocation addresses one in every of UWA’s key strategic goal of species, inhabitants restoration in locations the place they initially ranged to make sure their survival particularly in gentle of the present land use modifications and different developments of their present ranges.
“This train is essential within the fulfilment of UWA’s mandate of defending and conserving Uganda’s wildlife sources, we’re increasing the species vary aware of the land use modifications within the nation”, he stated.
The translocation is geared toward re-enforcing the Kob inhabitants in Kidepo Valley Nationwide Park to boost breeding, genetic variety and ecosystem stability. It is going to additionally meet UWA’s strategic goal of restoring species of their former rangelands, improve biodiversity and ecosystem stability and utilization and enhance tourism within the park.
So important is the Uganda Kob to the nation that, along with the gray topped crane, it adorns Ugandas Nationwide Emblem, the ‘Coat of Arms’ representing the variety of wildlife in its imposing presence on all authorities symbols together with the nationwide flag.
The Uganda Kob is comparable in look to the impala however it’s extra sturdily constructed. Solely males have horns, that are lyre-shaped, strongly ridged and divergent. Males are barely bigger than females, being 90 to 100 cm on the shoulder, with a median weight of 94 kg. whereas females are 82 to 92 cm on the shoulder and on common weigh about 63 kg. The white throat patch, muzzle, eye ring and inside ear and the golden to reddish-brown coat/pores and skin colour differentiates it from different Kob subspecies.
Kobs are usually present in open or wooded savannah inside cheap distance from water and in grasslands close to rivers and lakes. About 98% of the current inhabitants are present in nationwide parks and different protected areas.
Uganda Kobs are herbivores and feed largely on grasses and reeds. The females and younger males type free teams of various measurement, which vary in line with meals availability, typically shifting alongside watercourses and grazing in valley bottoms. They’ll journey 150 to 200 km searching for water throughout the dry season. Females change into sexually mature of their second yr whereas males don’t begin breeding till they’re older. Calving takes place on the finish of the wet season; a single calf is born within the months of November or December, after a gestation interval of about 9 months.
