In June I visited Murchison Falls National Park, one of East Africa’s gems, with my colleagues Paul Hillman, Godwin Opuly and Mark Jordahl. We went stealthily into the Northern Ugandan game park to document oil drilling there. In 2008, we had been in the park, one of East Africa’s best kept secrets, and upon returning in 2010, we found busloads of oil workers, private roads blocked off to tourists and tons of worry that the oil drilling would harm the park, unsettle the animals and interfere with migration routes of elephants. We spoke with Walter Labongo, the chief warden during the time of Idi Amin, who recalled the decimation of the wildlife population under Amin’s direction. He still cannot forgive Amin for what he did to the elephants and other animals. The populations are coming back and the park is finally recovering. But now, President Museveni and the government of Uganda wants to build a golf course in the park too. Murchison Falls National Park is an amazing ecosystem teeming with wildlife. It is a treasure that will be gone if we don’t take care. Mark Jordahl has been an outspoken voice for conservation in Uganda and one of the park’s best friend. Here is his blog on the matter.

http://conserveuganda.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/murchison-falls-continues-to-be-musevenis-punching-bag-or-punchline/

For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.