# Conservation Village: Wildlife & One Health Conservation Across Uganda

> Conservation Village is a Ugandan wildlife conservation organisation working across many landscapes throughout Uganda, including mountain gorilla health surveillance in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and pangolin rescue and anti-trafficking work in the Budongo–Mukihani forest corridor, and continuing to grow into others. Its work joins clinical veterinary medicine, field epidemiology and community livelihoods under a single One Health approach.

## Focus Areas

- **Mountain gorilla health surveillance** (Bwindi): Daily clinical monitoring of habituated gorilla families, non-invasive gastrointestinal helminth research, and rapid veterinary response protocols.
- **Pangolin rescue & anti-trafficking** (Budongo–Mukihani corridor): Rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing white-bellied pangolins (*Phataginus tricuspis*) and giant pangolins (*Smutsia gigantea*) recovered from hunters and traders; bringing former hunters in as conservation partners.
- **Forest biodiversity monitoring** (Budongo Forest Reserve): Chimpanzee behavioural monitoring, tree phenology, amphibian and bird surveys.
- **One Health disease research**: Investigating gastrointestinal helminths and waterborne pathogens at the shared human–livestock–wildlife interface.
- **Conservation Wealth Uganda**: A poverty-graduation livelihood programme giving forest-edge households and former hunters livestock (goats, pigs, sheep) as a productive starting asset, with One Health veterinary support keeping the animals (and the alternative to poaching) alive. Currently engages 40 households and 15 former hunters.

## Research & Field Projects

1. **Gastrointestinal Helminths in Mountain Gorillas**: Non-invasive faecal sampling mapping parasite diversity and cross-species transmission between gorillas, livestock and people (Bwindi).
2. **Waterborne Pathogens at the Shared Water Interface**: Water quality and disease vector analysis around Bwindi.
3. **Pangolin Rescue & Rehabilitation**: About 10 pangolins rescued to date, several returned to the wild, in the Budongo–Mukihani corridor.
4. **Forest Biodiversity Monitoring**: Ecological monitoring across the Budongo forest landscape.
5. **Conservation Wealth Uganda**: Livestock-based poverty graduation for forest-edge households and former hunters.
6. **Mountain Gorilla Daily Health Surveillance**: Standardised field observation protocol for trackers and veterinarians.

## Team

- **Dr. Kizza Ssemanobe Steven**: Co-Founder and Lead Veterinary Doctor.
- **Nanyunja Judith**: Co-Founder and One Health Expert; leads community engagement and conservation education across our landscapes.
- **Misaga Andrew**: Field Conservationist; gorilla tracking, habituation health logs, community liaison.

## Locations

These are our current documented field sites, not the limit of our work: we continue to expand into new landscapes across Uganda.

- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kanungu & Kisoro Districts (mountain gorillas)
- Budongo–Mukihani Forest Corridor, Masindi & Buliisa Districts (pangolins, chimpanzees, forest biodiversity)

## Collaboration & Contact

Open to research collaborations, grant partnerships, conservation consultations and community project support.

- **Website**: https://conservationvillage.org
- **Conservation Wealth Uganda programme page**: https://conservationvillage.org/conservation-wealth
- **Email**: info@conservationvillage.org
- **WhatsApp / Phone**: +256 752 518 402 (https://wa.me/256752518402)