Uganda’s bold steps into tech-powered conservation are already paying off. Wildlife is being saved. Communities are being protected. And the country is becoming a model for others across Africa.
By Willy Chowoo
Deep within Uganda’s national parks, a quiet technological revolution is unfolding. Drones glide above ancient tree canopies. GPS collars beam real-time signals from roaming lions and elephants. Soon, AI-powered cameras and sensors will scan the bush for intruders. This isn’t science fiction—it’s the new frontline in safeguarding Uganda’s most iconic wildlife.
For years, poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict have threatened the survival of species like elephants, lions, rhinos, and giraffes. But conservationists with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) are now turning to technology to change the game.
According to a report by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), significant strides have been made in the fight against wildlife trafficking. Between 2020/2021 and 2022/2023, UWA recovered a total of 16,686 wildlife products from poachers, including 2,410 kilograms of ivory and 1,901 kilograms of pangolin scales. In addition, law enforcement officers successfully rescued 37 live pangolins and recovered 57 pangolin skins, highlighting both the scale of illegal wildlife trade and the growing capacity to intercept it.
A closer look at the data reveals a positive downward trend. In 2020/2021, UWA recovered 9,220 items, compared to 7,466 in 2022/2023. This represents a 19% reduction (1,754 fewer products), signaling that anti-poaching measures and technologies are beginning to yield results. Such technologies include digital surveillance systems, the use of drones, camera traps, and data-driven monitoring tools that allow rangers to detect illegal activity faster and respond more effectively.
The decline suggests that enhanced intelligence gathering, community sensitization, and strengthened prosecution of wildlife crimes are playing an integral role in reducing trafficking networks. While the figures remain alarming—especially the large volumes of ivory and pangolin scales—they also indicate that consistent enforcement efforts are helping to disrupt poaching operations across Uganda’s conservation areas.
Furthermore, the recovery of live pangolins reflects not just interception of contraband but also a shift towards prioritizing animal welfare, as rescued species can potentially be reintroduced into their natural habitats. The decreasing numbers, if sustained, could mark a turning point in Uganda’s battle against wildlife crime, with technology acting as a critical ally in conservation.
The chart below (not included here) reinforces this analysis by visually illustrating the reduction in recovered wildlife products over the reporting periods, underscoring how innovative approaches are gradually suppressing poaching activities.
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This means that despite the deployment of advanced technologies, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) continues to grapple with challenges, particularly in relation to the poaching of hippos and other game animals. Hippos remain a prime target, mainly for their teeth, which fetch considerable value on the black market, while smaller game animals are still hunted for bushmeat to meet local demand. These cases underscore that while technology is proving effective in curbing certain types of wildlife crime, traditional and subsistence-driven poaching activities remain persistent threats.
On the other hand, there has been a notable breakthrough in the fight against elephant poaching. The report indicates that cases of elephants killed for ivory have dropped by more than half in the last two financial years, a remarkable achievement given that elephants were historically among the most targeted species. This sharp decline is a strong indicator that anti-poaching strategies ; ranging from aerial surveillance and ranger patrols to the use of sniffer dogs and digital intelligence; are beginning to bear fruit.
The contrast between rising hippo poaching and declining elephant killings highlights a shift in poaching dynamics. While high-tech interventions have effectively protected high-profile species like elephants, poachers appear to be redirecting their efforts toward less-protected species, which may not receive as much enforcement attention. This calls for a balanced conservation strategy that not only focuses on iconic species like elephants but also broadens protection to vulnerable species such as hippos and bushmeat game, whose slow but steady losses can have serious ecological impacts in the long term.
Uganda’s vast national parks stretch over thousands of square kilometers, making traditional monitoring methods costly and slow. As illegal wildlife trade surges, so does the need for smarter surveillance.
However, with investments in technologies such as drones, GPS collars, and satellite mapping, conservationists have gained unprecedented access to habitats that were once nearly impossible to reach. These tools have not only made it easier to observe and track wildlife populations in real time but also opened new opportunities for ecological research, enabling scientists to better understand animal migration routes, breeding patterns, and habitat use. At the same time, the same technologies are strengthening anti-poaching patrols by guiding rangers to hotspots more quickly and accurately, creating a dual impact of advancing science while safeguarding Uganda’s endangered species.
“We have seen an increase in poaching attempts, especially targeting elephants and pangolins,” says Bashir Hangi, UWA’s spokesperson. “Illegal wildlife trade remains a serious challenge, but technology is giving us new tools to fight back.”
The 2024 UWA report highlights the impact of intensified operations against illegal poaching and other unlawful activities in Uganda’s protected areas. As a result, UWA arrested 2,145 suspects and recovered 10,190 assorted wildlife and wildlife products.
Law enforcement teams also confiscated 30,578 poaching and trafficking implements, including 17 firearms, 13 magazines, and 174 rounds of ammunition. These were recovered from Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA), Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area (QECA), Mount Elgon Conservation Area (MECA), Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Area (BMCA), Gorilla Nest, and Kidepo Valley Conservation Area (KVCA).
The year saw a 35.2% increase in suspect arrests and a 27.7% rise in the recovery of poaching implements compared to the previous year, when 1,586 suspects were apprehended and 23,939 poaching tools were seized. However, the recovery of assorted wildlife and wildlife products declined by 11%, with 10,190 items seized compared to 11,448 in the 2021/2022 financial year
Bashir states that despite successes in curbing threats to wildlife, poachers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it insufficient to rely solely on foot patrols or community reports. “Technology complements traditional conservation methods by making monitoring faster, more efficient, and proactive rather than reactive,” he emphasizes.
Wire snares remain the most commonly used poaching devices across Uganda’s protected areas. For instance, between 2021 and 2023, park authorities recovered 30,369 wire snares, 2,731 pangas, and 21 guns used for poaching wildlife.
The figures reveal a notable increase in the recovery of poaching equipment, which rose by 1,595 items—representing a 10.1% increase. Among these, wire snares accounted for the largest share, with 989 recovered, reflecting a 15.7% rise. This trend highlights the continued reliance of poachers on snares as their primary method for trapping game animals, underscoring the persistent threat this practice poses to Uganda’s wildlife.
Poached wildlife products are most often transported using motorcycles, followed by bicycles and, to a lesser extent, motor vehicles. Over the reporting period, authorities intercepted 92 motorcycles, 33 bicycles, and 14 motor vehicles carrying illegally obtained wildlife products.
As recoveries of poached items increase, so too does the number of transport means seized. A total of 146 transport equipment were impounded, with motorcycles accounting for the largest share. The prominence of bicycles, however, suggests that many of the poachers are local community members who rely on the most affordable forms of transport to move bushmeat and other wildlife products.
Drones: Eyes in the Sky
Drones have become essential in the fight to protect wildlife. In parks like Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth, drones patrol remote areas that are otherwise difficult to access.
The use of drones has facilitated aerial surveillance to track animal populations, detect illegal activities, and monitor habitat changes.
The application of technologies over the years have resulted in an increase in recorded animal sightings across most protected areas, which was attributed to improvements in monitoring accuracy, vegetation manipulation, and controlled burning activities.
“Drones enable us to survey vast areas within minutes,” explains Fredrick Kizza, a conservation manager at Murchison Falls. “When we suspect poachers are operating in a particular region, we deploy drones to scan the area before sending in rangers.”
According to Kizza, this approach has significantly improved efforts to apprehend illegal poachers.
The implementation of these systems led to a notable increase in recorded animal sightings across most protected areas. This improvement was largely due to enhanced monitoring accuracy, strategic vegetation management, and controlled burning efforts. These measures helped open up previously inaccessible habitats, making wildlife observation and tracking more effective.
Mr. Hangi Bashir affirmed that drones have been instrumental in detecting and intercepting poachers before they can set up traps, resulting in arrests and the recovery of illegal weapons.
“These interventions have played a crucial role in reducing wildlife crime and fostering improved human-wildlife coexistence,” he noted.
In Murchison Falls National Park, Bashir stated that drones have been instrumental in detecting and intercepting poachers before they can set up traps, resulting in arrests and the recovery of illegal weapons.
In the financial year 2023/2024, Uganda recorded 6,999 incidents of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) across the country. This marks an 11% decline compared to the 7,861 cases reported in 2021/2022, suggesting that interventions aimed at mitigating such conflicts are beginning to show progress.
The decrease may be attributed to several measures adopted by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and conservation partners, including the construction of elephant deterrent trenches, electric and bee-hive fencing, community sensitization programs, and improved rapid response mechanisms. These efforts have likely helped to reduce instances of crop raids, livestock predation, and attacks on humans, which are the most common forms of HWC.
However, despite this encouraging decline, the number of reported cases—nearly 7,000 in a single year—remains significant. This underscores the fact that communities living adjacent to protected areas continue to face daily risks and economic losses as wildlife encroaches on farmland and settlements. It also highlights the need for sustained investment in both technological solutions (such as early-warning systems and GPS tracking of animal movements) and community-driven approaches that promote coexistence between people and wildlife.
The overall reduction points to a positive trajectory, but long-term success will depend on scaling up these interventions and addressing root causes, including habitat loss, human population growth, and encroachment into wildlife corridors. Without comprehensive strategies, the pressures of development and climate change could reverse these gains in the near future.
GPS Collars: Tracking Wildlife in Real-Time
Another powerful tool in UWA’s tech arsenal is the GPS collar. These devices, fitted on animals such as elephants, rhinos, and lions, send location data round-the-clock.
“If an elephant is moving too close to farmland, we can alert rangers immediately,” says Fredrick Kizza, a UWA Conservation manager at MFNP.
The use of GPS collars has greatly enhanced the ability to monitor lion movements, assess stress levels, and evaluate their responses to environmental changes. This has been particularly crucial in Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP), where increasing oil developments pose a growing concern.
According to the 2023-2024 UWA report, GPS collar tracking has revealed a continued decline in lion populations over the years. This underscores the urgent need for strengthened conservation measures to counter emerging threats and safeguard the long-term survival of this keystone species.
The data reveals a dramatic and concerning decline in lion populations across Uganda’s major national parks over the past four decades. In the 1980s, Queen Elizabeth National Park alone hosted about 400 lions, a strong and sustainable population. By 2022, however, this number had plummeted to just 39 lions, representing nearly a 90% reduction. This drastic fall illustrates the severe pressures facing apex predators, primarily due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
Murchison Falls National Park, once considered one of the strongholds for lions in Uganda, has also experienced a notable decrease. In the 2000s, the population was estimated to be between 181 and 467 lions, but by 2022, only 220 lions remained. While the decline here is not as steep as in Queen Elizabeth, it still signals a shrinking range and population stress, likely linked to poaching, encroachment, and competition with human activities around the park.
Kidepo Valley National Park presents a similar worrying trend. With lion numbers ranging between 35 and 60 in the 2000s, the population had dropped to just 23 by 2022. Given its relatively small starting population, this sharp decline poses an even greater risk of local extinction. The reductions across all three parks highlight the urgent need for conservation measures, including stricter law enforcement, habitat protection, reduction of human-wildlife conflict, and targeted programs to revive lion populations through community involvement and ecological monitoring.
The Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Dr. James Musinguzi, said there are ongoing efforts by government and conservation partners to address the sharp decline in lion populations across the country’s national parks.
Dr. Musinguzi noted that the use of lion tracker collars has been instrumental in monitoring the movements of the animals and preventing them from straying into community settlements. “These collars have greatly improved surveillance and helped us control incidents where lions cross into human settlements, which often leads to conflict,” he said.
He further explained that community engagement programs and revenue-sharing initiatives remain central to reducing human-wildlife conflict, which is one of the biggest threats to lions and other species. According to Dr. Musinguzi, these approaches not only build trust with local communities but also create incentives for them to support conservation.
The UWA boss emphasized that the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, is committed to restoring lion populations by adopting tailored conservation strategies that recognize the unique survival needs of different lion populations in various parks and regions. He added that UWA is exploring new conservation models and partnerships to strengthen the management of protected areas.
“The survival of lions is critical to our ecosystem and tourism industry, and we are determined to reverse this decline,” Dr. Musinguzi stressed.
The Executive Director noted that, as the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), they are intensifying the use of technology in safeguarding endangered species, particularly lions, whose populations have faced severe decline over recent decades.
“UWA is investing in drones & a helicopter for real-time monitoring of lions & other wildlife, strengthening protection and ensuring evidence-based recovery efforts’, Dr. Musinguzai maintains.
At Murchison Falls National Park alone, more than 200 animals have been collared. According to park authorities, only one animal per herd is fitted with a GPS collar. However, the uncollared animals are often involved in human-wildlife conflicts.
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“We closely monitor the movements of collared animals and promptly alert our rangers if they begin to stray beyond designated areas,” notes Kizza.
“With GPS tracking, we don’t just react to threats—we prevent them, we can detect movement patterns, identify risks early, and respond in real time” adds Hangi. “This is the future of wildlife conservation.”
One other notable success comes from Queen Elizabeth National Park. According to Bashir, GPS collar data has been invaluable in monitoring elephants that frequently wander into community farms.
“With real-time tracking, we were able to alert rangers and communities early enough to guide the animals back before any damage occurred,” he explains.
Real-Time Monitoring and Artificial Intelligence
Beyond drones and GPS collars, Uganda is embracing real-time monitoring systems powered by artificial intelligence.
“We have started exploring AI-powered solutions, particularly for analyzing camera trap images and drone footage,” explains Bashir. He believes these tools significantly reduce the time required to process field data while improving the accuracy of identifying threats and specific wildlife species.
Murchison Falls National Park Conservation Manager, Fredrick Kizza, reveals that they are actively studying various technological innovations to avoid falling victim to poachers who may attempt to exploit their systems. He believes AI-driven technologies will be essential in providing real-time information to enhance conservation efforts.
“We are looking to introduce ‘Bees Technology’ in the future, where drones emitting bee sounds will be deployed to deter animals spotted moving into community farmland,” Kizza adds.
To achieve this, the park authority is collaborating with partners to integrate real-time monitoring platforms that combine satellite data, GPS tracking, and patrol logs, enabling more informed decision-making.
“As technology continues to evolve, we are committed to adopting innovations that strengthen our ability to conserve wildlife effectively,” Bashir notes.
Dr. Tony Kidega, a veterinarian and conservationist, says that deploying drones and GPS collars in the parks is enhancing tourism.
“They help tourists spot animals such as elephants, lions, gorillas, and giraffes, which was not always possible before,” Dr. Kidega explains.
Challenges in the Digital Wilderness
While the shift to technology is revolutionizing wildlife protection, it comes with challenges. The initial investment in equipment, training, and maintenance can be substantial, and some protected areas remain remote with limited internet or mobile network coverage, making real-time monitoring difficult.
Despite this, Mr. Kizza emphasizes that although most of these technologies rely on internet connectivity, they remain committed to their adoption. “As a government, we are ready—we are embracing technology to enhance our conservation efforts and help sustain natural habitats,” Kizza added.
“We are just getting started,” says Hangi. “In the future, we plan to introduce AI-powered tracking and expand real-time monitoring across all parks.”
He says they also face occasional resistance from communities who may not fully understand the role of these technologies. But through continued sensitization, partnerships, and capacity building. “We’re working to overcome these obstacles and ensure these tools serve both conservation and community needs”.
Even so, UWA remains optimistic. Partnerships with global conservation groups are helping scale up efforts.
A High-Tech Future for Conservation
Uganda’s bold steps into tech-powered conservation are already paying off. Wildlife is being saved. Communities are being protected. And the country is becoming a model for others across Africa.
But the journey continues.
Saving Uganda’s wildlife will depend on sustained funding, continuous innovation, and community engagement. As long as the threats evolve, so must the tools to combat them.
Technology is enabling the Uganda Wildlife Authority to protect wildlife even in remote and hard-to-reach areas, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of ranger teams. “With tools like drones and GPS collars, we can detect movement patterns, identify risks early, and respond in real time,” says a UWA spokesperson.
Uganda’s ‘Eyes in the Wild’ are open—and watching.
