The wild Animal Unseen love is the way animals are in our parks. They contribute to the socioeconomic development of our tourism areas but rarely do we recognize them.
In Uganda, we get a lot of revenue from them; the income parks receive contributes towards the national budget. Unfortunately, we appreciate them not.
When they are hungry and come to feed on our crops, we forget the bigger picture and poison them or even hunt them. The good side of them is that they never take revenge; they run back to the forest for their dear lives. They forgive us and mind their business.
When we get visitors, we rush to take them to the park to look at the animals. They see us, appreciate our presence there and continue to feed or even remain in their gathering. Look at the lions – the kings of the jungle and my favourite animal. They never hunt us even when we offend them in their parks.
Look at the elephants, their flapping of ears make me want to fly every time I am going through Queen Elizabeth National Park. I am always full of smiles to see how big they are, how they carry their babies for more years than any other animal, how they walk. I feel the spirit of nature and I am in love with their flapping sounds. I love them.
We do harm them but they never take revenge to hunt us down, or even run after our tourists when we bring them to the parks. I am not sure whether it’s because people do not how much elephants contribute to the national treasury or it’s because they never go to school but I see Unappreciated Contribution every time we hunt them down.
Last month as I traveled through Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, I met climbing lions in their comfort zone. We looked at each other and smiled. I am not sure how they smile but from the way I looked at me I am sure, they looked at me very well with beautiful and open eyes. I had never thought of looking at the lions one on one, but I saw it that day.
Lions are brave to stand the test of time and they have love and a heart of kindness if respected. The lions never ran after me though I never went out of the car to take pictures or even to talk to them, but the lions allowed me to take the pictures. One of them seemed to smile as if knowing that the lion contributes a lot of money to the national budget. The budget that facilitates most of the development in Uganda.
If it had gone to school, it would probably ask me if I got the money it last contributed or even whether leaders were doing enough to ensure we get the required services. I at times imagine, if these animals knew how much they contribute to the national budget, what would they do if they saw how the resources they contribute are wasted or shared by people who are not close to them?
Since they do not go to supermarkets they would advise the Government to give that money to good neighbours. Maybe they would advise on good governance, transparency and accountability. I wish I under stood their Language.
They would maybe ask for decent health care, good governance and good agricultural practices that favour them. I love them and believe in their contribution. I am not sure what those hunters that hunt animals down every day think when running after them or even poisoning them.
The Contribution of wild animals goes unappreciated every day. When I live no more and I am in the forest, I will say thank you: you contributed a lot to bills for my health, my electricity and my food, though we never shared.
Unappreciated Contribution, should be Loved.
About the Entry
- Blogger name | Rukundo Joshua
- Site name | Kigezi Coffee Development Academy (KCDA)
- Site URL | www.kcdacoffee.org
- Twitter | @JoshuaRuku
- Facebook | Rukundo Joshua Blessed
- Why should someone visit your site? To see what I am doing in my local community and more communities near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for Mountain Gorrillas and Climbing Lions, Elephants and Buffaloes.
- Entry Number | 43
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