© 2018 RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES IN UGANDA Availability This publication is available in hardcopy from MTWA. A fee may be charged for persons or institutions that may wish to obtain hard copies. It can also be downloaded from the MTWA website: www.tourism.go.ug Copies are available for reference at the following libraries: MTWA Library Public Libraries Suggested citation MTWA (2018). Red List of Threatened Species of Uganda 2018, Ministry of Wildlife, Tourism and Antiquities (MTWA) Kampala. Copyright © 2018 MTWA MINISTRY OF WILDLIFE, TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES P.O. Box 4241 Kampala, Uganda www.tourism.go.ug [email protected] © RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES IN UGANDA 2018 Ministry of Wildlife, Tourism and Antiquities Foreword Uganda is a signatory to several international conventions that relate to the conservation of all biodiversity in the country such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Cartagena protocol all intended for the benefit local communities and global community. Species are disappearing due to various pressures on natural resources. Due to human population increasing trends and development pressures, previously intact habitats both protected and on private land have been converted, cleared and/or degraded leading to a decline in species population and diversity. The effects of climate change, which are hard to forecast in terms of pace and pattern, will probably also accelerate extinctions in unknown ways. Studies have been conducted to tally the number of species of animals, plants and fungi that still exist globally. However the estimates normally produced are based on the International Union of Conservation of Nature criterion that at times overshadows the national scales. Based on studies that have been carried out in Uganda, list of nationally threatened species for Uganda in the seven taxa namely mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, dragonflies and vascular plants have been developed. This will contribute significantly towards our undersatnding of the status of the species relevant to Ugandan context culturaly and economicaly as well as a reference for policy formulation and strategic decision making in Uganda. Iam very grateful for the support of Tullow Uganda Operations Pty Ltd and Wildlife Conservation Society together with government agencies and Non Governmental Organisations that partcipated in the process of coming up with this much appreciated list of nationally threatened species for Uganda. i Prof. Emphraim Kamuntu (MP), Minister for the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Acknowledgements This first Red List of threatened species for Uganda is the result of significant efforts to survey and understand the country’s resident biodiversity by many institutions and individuals over a number of years, to all of whom we are sincerely grateful. All sources of data used have been acknowledged and referenced, but particular thanks are due to the specialists of Uganda Wildlife Authority, Makerere University (College of Agricultural and Environmental Science and College of Natural Sciences), Tullow Uganda Operations Pty, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Senckenburg Museum of Natural History (Germany), who not only provided the majority of data used in the compilation of the Red List but also their time and expertise to participate in the taxonomic group meetings to analyse every species. To their exhaustive efforts to ensure the best possible information was used for each of the species included we are indebted. Special thanks are also due to Tullow Uganda Operation Pty and the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department (PEPD) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), whose efforts to understand the biodiversity of the Albertine Graben prior to the commencement of oil development were responsible for initiating this project and who have graciously funded the production of this first Red List; to the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), whose encouragement and enthusiasm for this project are greatly appreciated and lastly; to The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) who are responsible for coordinating the global Red List of threatened species and to the individual Specialist Species Groups (SSG) within the IUCN umbrella who have provided input and guidance on the process and taxonomic groups. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword i Acknowledgements ii List of acronyms iv Technical Team (authors and reviewers) v Institutions that contributed data vi Executive summary vii PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Background 1 Purpose of the Red List 2 Methodology for developing the Red List 3 Terminology 3 National Threat Status 4 Sites 4 iii PART 2: THE RED LISTS 6 National Red Lists Tables for Different Taxa 7 Mammals 7 Birds 19 Amphibians 32 Reptiles 39 Butterflies 48 Dragonflies 75 Vascular Plants 80 Summary of results 97 REFERENCES 98 List of acronyms DRC Democratic Republic of Congo IFC International Finance Corporation IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature MTWA Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities NEMA National Environment Management Authority of Uganda NaFIRRI National Fisheries Resources Research Institute NFA National Forest Authority NU Nature Uganda PEPD Petroleum Exploration and Production Department TUOP Tullow Uganda Operations Limited UWA Uganda Wildlife Authority WCS Wildlife Conservation Society iv Technical Team (authors and reviewers) Mammals Dr Robert Kityo Makerere University College of Natural Sciences Mr Tutillo Mudumba Wildlife Conservation Society Professor Julian Peterhans Kerbis Roosevelt University of Chicago Mr Aggrey Rwetsiba Uganda Wildlife Authority Birds Hamlet Mugabe Wildlife Conservation Society Professor Derek Pomeroy Nature Uganda Achilles Byaruhanga Nature Uganda Mr Roger Skeen Nature Uganda Mr Richard Ssemmanda Independent Consultant Amphibians and reptiles Dr Mathias Behangana Makerere University College of Natural Sciences v Dr Michelle Menegon Museum of Science of Trento, Italy Robert Sekisambu Wildlife Conservation Society Dr Eli Greenbaum University of Texas Dr Thomas Doherty-Bone University of Leeds Dr David c. Blackburn University of Florida Ms Elena Garollo Museum of Science of Trento, Italy Butterflies and Dragonflies Dr Perpetra Akite Makerere University College of Natural Sciences Dr Viola Clausnitzer Senckenburg Museum of Natural History, Germany Dr Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, Netherlands Plants Mr Ben Kirunda Wildlife Conservation Society Dr Simon Nampindo Wildlife Conservation Society Dr Miguel Leal Wildllife Conservation Society Mr Tom Forrest Independent Researcher (Aloes and Sansevieras) Ms Christine Kabuye Makerere University College of Natural Sciences Mr David Nkuutu Independent Consultant Dr Margaret Namaganda Makerere University College of Natural Sciences Technical Coordinators: Ms. Sarah Prinsloo Wildlife Conservation Society Dr. Andrew Plumptre Wildlife Conservation Society Mr Sam Ayebare Wildlife Conservation Society Red List Publication Committee: Mr Geoffrey Mwedde Wildlife Conservation Society Mr Aggrey Rwetsiba Uganda Wildlife Authority Ms. Caroline Aguti Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Ms. Evelyn Lutalo National Environment Management Authority Mr Innocent Akampurira Uganda National Council of Science and Technology Design and layout: Mr. Musiime P. Muramura Uganda Wildlife Authority Cover Photos Front: Shoebill in Mabamba Swamp by Musiime P. Muramura vi Back cover: Elephant in Murchison Falls National Park by Musiime P. Muramura Institutions that contributed data Wildlife Conservation Society National Biodiversity Databank, Makerere University Makerere University Institute of Environment and Natural Resources National Fisheries Resources Research institute Uganda Wildlife Authority National Forestry Authority Tullow Uganda Operations Pty Senckenburg Museum of Natural History, Germany Executive summary Natural systems and species in Uganda are facing unprecedented pressure from industrial development as well as from rural human populations striving to make a living. Whereas this fact is well known and documented, little or no effort has been put in place to evaluate the trends and threat levels of individual species populations to inform policy actions. Yet, existence of such information plays a key role in influencing different forms of development and the necessary remedial or corrective action to take besides providing an accountability mechanism for companies who are committed to meeting international standards like the Environmental and Social Performance Standards of the International Finance Corporation. This evaluation was done to offer a quick internationally recognised guide to the threat status of species in Uganda and intended for use by the Government of Uganda, Environmental professionals, developers, conservation organisations and the academia. Using IUCN Red Listing guidelines, a team of experts evaluated the threat status of seven taxa including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, dragonflies and vascular plants. These were taxa for which reasonable distribution data were available. The evaluated species are listed by taxa in tables which give the species (Latin) names, common names, the global threat status, the national threat status of the species as well as sites where these are found for easy reference. The total numbers of species per taxa found to be nationally