Monkeys seem to be overstaying their welcome at State House in Entebbe. This has always been a rich habitat for primates, particularly monkeys, but now there are calls to evict them from the lush environment of State House.
“We have always been called to pick our monkeys,” a source at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) told Wild News Channel in an interview.
There are strong fears that the monkeys could transmit highly infectious diseases such as anthrax and Ebola. This is also changing the stance against monkeys, which roam different parts of Entebbe.
As a result, UWA has had to fast-track measures to calm down the monkey fears. “We have had to capture the alpha male monkeys because they command the troops of monkeys,” a source says. “Once we remove the alpha male, the groups scatter and steer clear of the captured areas.”
UWA has also provided monkey traps, baited with bananas to attract them. The traps have a lever system, which lowers the door and traps the monkey inside a metallic cage once the monkey touches the bait. “We are always on standby when the call comes from the State House to go for the rescue and relocation of the trapped monkey.”
The monkeys often become part of the roaming population of monkeys that hangs around UWEC, Entebbe Zoo, Botanical Gardens, and Kitubulu Forest Reserve in Entebbe.
Asked about the monkeys that are bothering State House, Sam Mwandha, the executive director of UWA, denied receiving any calls from State House. “I have not received any calls because I have been away,” Mwandha told Wild News Channel on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Mwandha also says that scaremongers were turning the population against monkeys. He pointed out that the cases where the country has experienced Ebola outbreaks have not been connected to monkeys in any way.
“We have many cases of Ebola, but there is no single evidence that the monkeys cause Ebola. It is an allegation, and therefore we should not run around with allegations that scare people for nothing.”
Mwandha added, “There are very few cases of wildlife causing disease, but that does not mean that we should not be conscious.”
The complaints against monkeys have not only come from State House but also from other parts of Greater Kampala. This is a widespread challenge, with complaints coming from many questers within Kampala, according to Mwandha.
“I get many calls from different people in Kampala complaining about monkeys,” Mwandha conceded, pointing out that the people want the troublesome monkeys out of their environment. “The monkeys need food and shelter, and the people who are building houses have cleared their habitat. We are cutting all the trees and destroying wetlands.”
He says people should not leave their houses open and that their windows should not allow access to monkeys to avoid unnecessary raids. He also encouraged the residents to plant trees, particularly fruit trees. “If a monkey eats a mango or two, it should be fine. Let’s share the spaces with wildlife and be good stewards of the environment,” Mwandha says.
Two decades ago, the country declared vervet monkeys as vermin. “We call them vermin because their population is higher than required,” says Mwandha.
Entebbe is an animal sanctuary under the Uganda Wildlife Act, meaning that the monkeys are protected. The protected areas are national parks with the highest conservation status in the country, wildlife reserves, community wildlife areas, and sanctuaries.
The vervet monkeys are considered vermin outside Uganda’s protected areas, according to UWA’s Senior Manager for Research and Monitoring, Aggrey Rwetsiba. “It is against the law to harass, cause harm, or kill a monkey in a protected area,” says Rwetsiba, adding that Entebbe is one of the protected areas because it is a sanctuary.
He also pointed out that residents of protected areas such as sanctuaries should undertake activities that do not conflict with wildlife. “We should not undertake activities that are going to attract wildlife. How do you clear your waste?”
While the monkeys in Kampala are vermin, the ones in Entebbe are not, according to Rwetsiba. “The responsibility of dealing with vermin lies with the local government,” he says, adding that UWA’s role is to provide capacity building and raise awareness about wildlife. “We need to co-exist with wildlife because it is important to keep the ecological systems alive and well.”
Previously, an expansive forest covered Entebbe, which sits on a peninsular of Lake Victoria, and parts of Kampala. However, deforestation in recent decades has taken a toll on the trees, including the rare palm plants, also known as raffia species.
The monkeys are losing their natural habitats as urban sprawl expands into Greater Kampala and settlements, coupled with the extensive use of fuelwood and charcoal. The forest cover that used to protect the landscape from strong winds blowing into parts of Entebbe from Kenya and Tanzania has been torn into shreds.
The State House, which still boasts expansive greenery, as well as UWEC, Botanical Gardens, and Kitubulu are remnants of the enormous forest that used to cover Entebbe and Kampala, or the northern shores of Lake Victoria. This patchy green belt in Entebbe has become a wildlife refuge, including monkeys.
