Saving Reptiles in Uganda

In Uganda, like any other African country, reptiles in general and snakes in particular are killed every day in an amount which will cause the disappearance of some species in few years. This is due to the continuous destruction of their environment and also to the fear people have of these animals. At Uganda Reptile Village, based in Uganda 3 km far from Entebbe, Kazibwe Yasin does his best to fight this sad situation. The center hosts 12 cages for snakes, one very big enclosure for chameleons, one enclosure for tortoises, one for monitor lizards and a big enclosure with pond for crocodiles. He puts the biggest effort in explaining to the local population how to live together with snakes, teaching them simple rules to follow in order to keep snakes away from their homes. He tries to explain how important the environment is and the crucial role of reptile in the balance of nature. He tries to visit schools and invite them to the center to live this experience directly, as the young generation represents the best hope to change this distroying trend. All this is done without the financial help of any Ugandan government organization, and he must be very grateful to some European supporters we had in the past years.  Unfortunately the costs are increasing continuously, as is the number of snakes rescued almost every day; the encroaching of the environment is chasing these animals from their original habitat and more and more often they are found inside homes. Consider that only for feeding the animals and paying for the small salaries of the few people working at the center the approximate cost is 600 USD. And moreover due to the tropical environment of Uganda, the structures, from the outer fence up to the individual cages, require a constant maintenance. Right now there is an emergency on the big cage of the chameleons, and in order to fix the roof which is risking to collapse any moment the cost estimation is at least 300 USD. I invite you to visit their webpage www.reptiles.ug (which friends prepared and improved with their free work), to learn more about this amazing project.  This place is a wonderful opportunity for the people to come and enjoy and learn (both foreigners and local people), but they need your help to be able to continue.