Inside Uganda’s ten-year plan to save large carnivores

The Ugandan government, in collaboration with conservationists, has unveiled a 10-year Strategic Action Plan aimed at protecting the country’s large carnivores, including lions, leopards, and hyenas.

The initiative, launched during the National Wildlife Conservation Conference 2025, seeks to combat poaching, habitat destruction, and human-wildlife conflict while boosting carnivore populations by 30%.

Tourism Minister Tom Butime emphasized the need for collective action to preserve Uganda’s wildlife heritage. “Let us heed the call for conservation of our planet and explore practical, innovative strategies that mitigate the consequences of human activities while fostering sustainable development,” he said.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Country Director, Ivan Tumuhimbise, outlined key priorities of the plan, including strengthening research, mitigating human-wildlife conflicts, and enhancing collaboration between government agencies and conservation groups. He warned that illegal wildlife trade, especially the demand for lion body parts, remains a critical threat.

To counter these challenges, WWF and its partners plan to enhance monitoring systems and introduce economic alternatives for communities living near conservation areas. The ambitious plan has a budget of over 169 billion Ugandan shillings (about $44 million) to fund conservation efforts over the next decade.

Jan Sadek, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Uganda, highlighted the need for sustainable conservation financing. “Conservation finance is not just about money—it is about mindset. It is about seeing conservation not as a burden, but as an opportunity,” he stated. The EU remains a strong supporter of conservation efforts, recognizing Uganda’s nature-based tourism as a key economic driver generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

James Musinguzi, the incoming Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to implementing the plan in partnership with conservation stakeholders. The initiative is expected to strengthen the survival of Uganda’s large carnivores while promoting ecotourism and sustainable livelihoods for local communities.