Uganda: Govt Launches Taskforce to Reverse Decline in Lion Population

What the report says

Uganda has created a Lion and Large Carnivore Conservation Taskforce to help address falling numbers of lions and other threatened predators, according to a report distributed by AllAfrica from Nile Post. The body was launched by Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Minister Tom Butime and is intended to advise the ministry and the Uganda Wildlife Authority on conservation strategy, enforcement and coordination.

The report says the government is responding to evidence of a broader decline in large carnivores, including leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Butime said Uganda’s lion population had fallen from an estimated 373 in 2020 to 291 between 2022 and 2025. He linked the losses to human pressure on wildlife habitat, retaliatory killings after livestock attacks, poisoning and illegal trade in wildlife products.

The assessment cited in the article points to uneven conditions across protected areas. Murchison Falls remains a major stronghold, while Queen Elizabeth National Park has seen some recovery in recent surveys, though the southern Ishasha sector still appears fragile. Kidepo Valley National Park was described as having suffered sharp losses. The report also notes concerns about snares and wire traps, as well as uncertainty over the status of African wild dogs.

The taskforce will work under Uganda’s Large Carnivore Strategic Action Plan for 2024-2034, which sets goals for higher viable populations and lower poaching pressure. In general, such plans typically combine enforcement, habitat protection, scientific monitoring and community engagement, all of which the article says are priorities for Uganda’s new effort.