We were much honored to receive His Royal Highness,
Prince Akishino and his wife, Princess Akishino, at UWEC on 15th June. The
Royals were on a three day visit to Uganda to boost diplomatic relations
between the two countries. They visited several projects supported by the
Japanese government, UWEC being one of them.
Upon arriving at the center, they were welcomed by
two young girls who presented bouquets of sweet scented flowers, before the
Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, the UWEC
management and members of the board officially welcomed them. They toured the
information center, which bears a glimpse of the tourism activities and
products available in Uganda. They also got to see the bone piecing work done
by members of staff who had previously been to Japan through the Yokohama
Zoos-UWEC exchange program.
They went on to participate in the Behind-the-Scenes
program with the Shoe bill Stork and the Pythons, before heading to the giraffe
viewing point to plant a memorial tree. The horticulturalist explained that Prunus
Africana, the tree that he gave them to plant, is an evergreen tree
traditionally used to cure fevers, malaria, stomach pains, among others; and is
a favored food supply for animals.
Their visit could not possibly be considered
complete without hand feeding the giraffes. This was obviously an exciting
moment for them and they would have continued if it were not for the tight
schedule. In appreciation for their visit and consideration, the UWEC
management presented portraits of the Gray Crowned Crane, the Shoe bill Stork
and the Giraffe symbol, in remembrance of UWEC.
UWEC, through partnership with the Japanese
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has benefited quite a lot from the Zoo
Exchange Program, through which a number of staff have shared lifetime skills
in wildlife care and management. Through the same, the center has received
donations in kind for use in the veterinary unit, including incubators and an aesthetic
machines.
Prince and Princess Akishino’s visit to Uganda was
the first time Japanese royals were touring an African country and we believe
we greatly contributed to making their tour a memorable one. http://wonderuganda.co.ug/aboutus.php
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