The Uganda Wildlife Authority has launched an online mountain gorilla tracking software. Ugandans and foreign visitors can now use a mobile phone-based application to navigate the Mountain Gorilla-hosting national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga for $2 per month. The app will have a subscription-based viewing.
Previously, travelers had to go to Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks in southwestern Uganda to observe Mountain Gorillas. Virtual viewership will now be feasible with the new option, employing digital technology to reach those who may not be able to physically attend the parks.
According to Sam Mwanda, the UWA Executive Director, anyone who want to see the famed Mountain Gorilla must subscribe to an app called “My Gorilla Family.”
App characteristics:
The software will provide customers with an interactive portal via which they may virtually access daily gorilla excursions and track family migrations using their cell phones. The rangers will also provide them with real-time updates on major occurrences such as new births.
Mwanda described the software, which is accessible on iOS and Android phones, as an unprecedented opportunity for people to remotely track a gorilla family.
Pandemic lockdown lessons:
According to Mwanda, the new idea arose from some of the lessons learnt during the Covid-19 shutdown.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, visitation to the two national parks were banned for fear of spreading the virus to the gorillas. He claims that the new invention is part of the Authority’s efforts to earn more cash to maintain the national parks.
The application, according to Mwanda, is the result of a public-private partnership between UWA and the House of Gorilla Initiative (HoG). The proceeds will be split equally between the two companies.
He also stated that this application is intended to improve revenue generated by gorilla tourism because it would be more broadly distributed and convenient for a greater number of people.
“The gorillas account for up to 70% of our revenue collection.” We do not have enough money, despite collecting up to Shs120 billion in total. As a result, because gorillas are our premium product, we have to find a more strategic method to promote them in order to generate more income,” he explained.
According to Lilly Ajarova, Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), the application will strengthen the country’s conservation efforts as well as keep up with global tourism marketing trends.
Uganda’s indigenous tech-meets-conservation effort exemplifies humanity’s responsibility in environmental protection.
Operation:
HoG co-founder David Gonahasa noted that the invention intends to discover alternate funds for gorilla conservation. He expects that by using this app, more individuals will join in, resulting in higher collections. He also stated that the software takes up to a year to develop.
According to Gonahasa, cameras have been deployed in the forests to collect the data needed to feed information to the program on a constant basis. He also stated that they hope to fund USD 380,000 to assure the application’s smooth operation, and that the subscription charge is $2 per month.
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