When exploring Kibale’s 776 kilometers of lush forest, known for its unique diversity of primates, visitors may assume this ecosystem has always been protected; however, Kibale’s national park status was awarded in just 1991. Before 1991, Kibale functioned as hunting grounds for local kings before becoming an exotic tree forest reserve in 1935, and finally a settlement area for refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Kibale’s amalgamation of  purposes conveys the complicated relationship between nature and human activity; in particular the push and pull between idyllic “untouched” nature and the othered anthropomorphic destruction of it. Kibale’s forest provides a triumphant example of the resilience of nature when given the chance to regenerate. The role of Kibale is still in flux as the surrounding communities' perspectives of the park shift and change. As Kibale Chimpanzee Project (KCP) director, Dr. Emily Otali explained, neighboring residents view the park as a free resource, which results in poaching. Poachers set nets and snares throughout the park, sometimes as many as 200 in a given area. These snares immobilize everything from deka to chimpanzees. If the animals survive snares, they can result in painful injuries that may take weeks to cause death.Poaching and unauthorized human movement in the park also leads to zoonotic transmission of diseases between humans and chimpanzees.  Pit traps, large covered holes in the ground with a floor of spears, are also used to kill elephants in the park. Contrastingly, chimpanzees and elephants raid crops in surrounding villages, as most local Ugandans farm for subsistence. Elephants, in particular, can devastatingly damage crops. Initiatives, such as protective electric fences, have been utilized at Victoria State Park, but elephants will use large tree trunks to disable the fencing. The duality of human poaching and animal crop raiding again expresses this irresolute relationship between mankind and nature. 

KCP created the Snare Removal Project (Snare), working in collaboration with the Ugandan Wildlife Association, to remove snares from the forest and provide veterinary care for chimpanzees. As Dr.Otali mentioned, ⅓ of chimpanzees studied at Kibale have injuries from snares. Before Snare, veterinarians from more urban areas would travel to Kibale to sedate and treat snared chimpanzees, but with the project, approval for several veterinarians to remain on site was granted. This development allows for timely care of snare injuries, drastically decreasing the likelihood of chimpanzees dying from snares or losing limbs.

In tandem with the Snare Project, the Kibale School’s Forest Program also runs conservation clubs where students learn more about conservation careers and the importance of conservation. Dr. Otali and my professor Zarin Machanda both promote conservation education as a powerful tool in protecting Kibale National Park. Through education, students may find employment outside of poaching while learning the importance of national parks.