Kibale Forest is Free from Ebola

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has confirmed that Kibale National Park is safe and far from Kibale district, the epic entry of the deadly Ebola disease.

The wildlife body said the national park, a home to chimpanzees and famous for chimp-tracking activities, is functioning normally and far from the Ebola threat.

The authority in a statement signed by the acting executive director, Dr. Andrew Sseguya noted that the park which straddles the districts of Kamwenge and Kabarole is over 90km from Kibale district.

“The chimpanzees in Kibale National Park are not the cause of the Ebola outbreak and they are safe to track,” Seguya noted in the statement.

Chimpanzee Tracking is a major source of revenue for Uganda’s tourism industry. The national park is currently handling up to 50 tourists a day from all corners of the world. Other nearby game parks like Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are also operating normally.

But Uganda Wildlife Authority acknowledged the threat and a number of safety tips, advising tourists to among other things avoid making unnecessary stopovers en route to the national parks and also desist from shaking hands with anyone.

The authority advised tour companies to ascertain in advance the safety routes to national parks and cautioned tourists and their minders to avoid eating in restaurants outside their places of abode.

For about 2 weeks now no new Ebola patient case has been registered and no deaths have been reported. The situation is getting better and the doctors in Kagadi Hospital are hope full.

30 people suspected to have come in contact with Ebola patients were monitored, tested and confirmed are Ebola free, there fore released at the beginning of last week.