By Our Writer
President Yoweri Museveni daughter Diana Museveni Kyaremera has been named as the new patron of Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, replacing her mother.
First Lady Janet Museveni had been the patron of the sanctuary since its inception in 1999.
Diana was unveiled as the new patron during the commemoration of World Chimpanzee Day at the sanctuary on Sunday.
She expressed commitment to working with the leadership of Ngamba Island to conserve chimpanzees.
Diana called for collective efforts among the public in conserving wildlife and ensuring that their habitats are protected from encroachers.
“I am humbled to take over the role of the patron of the Chimpanzee Trust,” she said.
Currently, the sanctuary cares for at least 54 chimpanzees.
“I am grateful for the trust that Mama Janet who is the patron emeritus put in me. On this remarkable day of the World Chimpanzee Day is not only held to celebrate our closes animal relatives but also to raise awareness about these threats to their survival.”She said.
Diana applauded the conservationists for their dedication to study and protect the wildlife while at the sanctuary.
“It is a thankless job but the generations that come after us will be grateful that you have been diligent in preserving these magnificent and intelligent species for posterity,” she said.
World Chimpanzee Day was created 64 years ago to commemorate the primate and strike a keynote about the need to conserve the primates that share a significant DNA with humans.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), chimpanzees have classified as an endangered species.
According to available information there are less than 350,000 chimps across Africa unlike 100 years ago, when there was between 1 to 2 million chimps across 25 countries on the African continent.
The population of chimpanzees in Uganda is about 5,000.
In November of last year, while launching the National Chimpanzee Conservation Strategy, President Museveni said the best way to ensure the conservation of our wildlife is to invest in eco-tourism.
“The more we invest in our tourism, the more foreign exchange we earn as a country and the more of vested interest we would have to conserve our wildlife,” Mr Museveni said.
