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ItemAbundance and distribution of wild animals around oil and gas facilities and infrastructure in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)Oil and gas resources exploitation is being done by Total E & P in Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP). A study was carried out to determine the dynamics of wild animal interactions with oil and gas facilities and infrastructure with the aim of understanding how wild animals interact with and are affected by the facilities and infrastructure at different stages of development. The specific objectives of the study were: to determine the abundance, distribution, behaviour and ecology of wild animals around oil and gas facilities and infrastructures. The study was conducted at fourteen sites, eleven of which represented oil and gas facilities and infrastructures whereas the other three were tourist tracks. The vegetation characteristics differed remarkably across the study sites. The study involved field physical observations, use of camera traps and direct animal counts. Animal counts were done by use of transects with a width of 400 meters for large animals such as elephants, buffalos and giraffes; 200 meters for medium sized animals such as waterbuck, bushbuck, Uganda kob and 100 meters for small sized wild animals such as oribi, baboons, patas monkeys and birds. A pair of binoculars and field book guides and keys aided in animal identification. Animal behaviour was observed and recorded on designed data sheets. The well pads JBR 9 and 4 were natural favoured habitats for elephants; JBR2 was occasionally visited. Elephants were significantly more at JBR 4 than project access road (p=0.03, t=2.47) during the study period. Elephants, left JBR9 in March when drilling started. Elephants tolerated well pad preparation activities. Giraffes appeared in JBR 9; and occurred in JBR 8, 5 and 3 (their most favoured habitats only when pad site preparations were done in November during late rainy season and disappeared till April- during the early rainy season when forage was recovering. This finding suggested that there was seasonal giraffe migration dictated by seasonal nutritional feed abundance. There were significantly more giraffe populations seen in Victoria track than project access road (p=0.04, t=2.25). Buffalo were found in their favoured habitats JBR 8 site which was under preparatory phase, JBR5 which was already drilled and Victoria tourist track. Their population was more in Victoria tourist track than project access road (P=0.02, t=2.86). Currently buffaloes were not affected by Tilenga project activities. Population of Uganda kobs were more in their most favored habitats of JBR 8, 5 and Victoria track. The Uganda kobs were not currently being affected by project activities. Few Uganda kobs were seen at project access road than in Victoria track (p=0.03, t=2.39) and JBR5 (p=0.04, t=2.22). There was a significant difference of mean Jackson’s hartebeest abundance between project road and Victoria track (p=0.03, t=2.54), stringing area (p=0.02, t=2.78), and JBR9 (p=0.03, t=2.46). JBR8 was natural habitat for hartebeest which had undergone preparatory phase. Although JBR 5 was supposed to be a favored habitat, they were only seen during in November when feed nutrients were available but disappeared when they got exhausted. This implied that hartebeest fled to a refugee habitat when feed resources got exhausted. More hartebeest populations were found in the newly constructed access project road than Victoria track (p=0.03, t=2.54), stringing area (p=0.02, t=2.78) and JBR9 (p=0.03, t=2.46). The project road provided lush pasture and easy predator visibility detection. Overall, there was a significant difference of variation of oribi populations across sites at MFNP (p=0.03, df 10,55, F=2.18). Oribis were more abundant in the project access road than other tourists tracks (Albert track (p=0.004, t=4.18 and New Buligi Track (p=0.01, t=3.22); and JBR8 (p=0.05, t=1.92), and JBR2 (p=0.001, t=5.38). There significantly less oribi populations seen in JBR 9 and JBR 2 when drilling activities were being carried out. This implied that they moved out of these sites. There was no significant variations of baboons populations across sites at MFNP (p=0.2, df 9,50, F=1.46). However less significant populations of baboon populations were seen in JBR9, 10 and JBR 2. There was significant difference of mean abundance of warthog between project access road and the other tourist tracks (New Buligi Track (p=0.006, t= 3.71); Albert track (p=0.04, t=2.24) and Victoria track (p=0.003, t=4.52)); and Stringing Area (p=0.004, t=4.19). The project access road provided habitat for wallowing and gravel stone salt leaking sites. There were more waterbucks at JBR 9 near the water sources in November and December during late rainy season and thereafter disappeared. There were less waterbucks seen at the project road than New Buligi Track (p=0.004, t=4.19) and Albert track (p=0.004, t=4.36). There were significantly more patas monkeys seen in Albert track that the project road (p=0.04, t=2.12). There was substantial number of aquatic fowl (Egyptian geese (7.7±2.8); grey crowned crane (4.7±3.1); herons (2.6 ±2.4) and ibis (1.7±1.2) to sustain water game fowl viewing at the designated Ramsar site wetland with the oil and gas facilities and infrastructure. Carnivores mainly lions, hyenas and leopards were not easily seen during day time at oil and gas facilities but were captured at night by camera traps.
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ItemIndigenous knowledge, efficacy and safety of medicinal plants used in the control of chicken helminths in Uganda : a case of Soroti District(Makerere University, 2025)This study aimed at assessing the indigenous knowledge, phytochemistry, efficacy and safety of selected medicinal plants used in the control of chicken helminths in Soroti district. Indigenous knowledge was studied using focus group discussions and farmer interviews. The knowledge, attitudes and practices of ethno-veterinary utilization in chickens was done among 407 chicken owners of 20-50 years using structured questionnaires and focus group discusions. Qualitative and quantitive pytochemiical analyses were carried out using standard procedures and GC-MS, respectively. Efficacy determination of the crude extracts from selected plants was done by in-vitro adult Ascaridia galli paralysis studies and in-vivo by faecal egg count reduction (FECR) assessment in chicken. The toxicological effects of the extracts on chicken were evaluated using haematological, biochemical and histopathological evaluations. Twenty-one indigenous seven-week-old male chickens were fed on feeds from Nuvita® feeds Uganda limited and adlib tap water. They were divided into seven groups of three chicken per group. Carica papaya leaves ethanol and acetone extracts (CPLe and CPLa)), Capsicum annuum ripe fruits ethanol extract and acetone extracts (CAFe and CAFa), levamisole HCl, Piperazine citrate and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). All plant extracts were given at dose of 0.48g per bird as determined from a previous invitro experiments. Levamisole HCl was given at 25mg/kg body weight and piperazine citrate at 100mg/kg body weight. The control group received 0.2% DMSO in PBS. About 28 plant families with 39 species were mentioned. The most ranked plants were Capsicum annuum L. (PRK 65.4%) followed by Carica papaya L. (PRK 42.3%). Leaves were most used, were pounded and herbs orally administered. The mean knowledge score was 11.6/16 (SD=3.5). The mean attitudes score was 7.8/10 (SD=1.95). The mean practices score was 16.39/32 (SD= 5.58). The standardized mean scores were 72.5, 78 and 51.2 for knowledge, attitudes and practices respectively. Age was significantly related to knowledge, attitudes and practices (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p <0.001) respectively. GC-MS analysis of Carica papaya L of acetone extracts contained vitamin C (42%) and sterols (13%), whereas the ethanol extracts contained lipids (45.04%) and pyranones (20.3%). The acetone extracts of Capsicum annuum L had lipids (45.04 %) and alkanes (27.7%), whereas ethanol extracts exhibited lipids (50.16%) and alkaloids (22.73%). About 0.08g/ml of the extracts had paralyzed more than 50% of adult A. galli after 5 hours compared to the lower concentrations. On average, FECR ranked as follows: levamisole hydrochloride>CPLa>CAFa>CAFe>CPLe>piperazine citrate with the percentage reductions ranging from 98.67±2.309 -35.67±2.082, respectively. Biochemically, CPLe, CAFe and piperazine citrate caused significantly higher blood sodium than CAFa (p=0.046, p=0.005, p=0.04), respectively. CPLe caused more serum albumins and levamisole caused higher AST levels than CAFe (P=0.02, p=0.04), respectively. CAFe, CPLa and levamisole caused eosinophilia compared to the PBS (p= 0.01, p= 0.017 and p= 0.001) respectively. CAFa and piperazine caused eosinopenia compared to PBS (p=0.000) for each. Except CPLe, all extracts caused various levels of inflammation in the kidney and liver in the order of CAFe > CPLe > CAFa. In conclusion, the extracts were effective but CPLa was more efficacious and comparable to levamisole hydrochloride. All extracts were more efficacious than piperazine citrate at its recommended therapeutic dose. All extracts were toxic except CPLe. The study shows that extracts are not safer than synthetic anthelmintics and therefore they should also be used with caution.
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ItemAntibiotic susceptibility profiles of bacterial species in snare wounds of selected large wild herbivores in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)Snare wounds are a major threat to the health and survival of large wild herbivores in Uganda’s protected areas, predisposing them to bacterial colonization. Despite the conservation and veterinary concerns of snare wounds in wildlife animals, especially the large herbivores, little is known about the bacterial species involved and their susceptibility profiles in Murchison Falls National Park. This study was conducted to identify bacterial species colonizing snare wounds in selected large wild herbivores and establish their antibiotic susceptibility profiles. A cross-sectional study was undertaken between July 2025 and January 2026, and 31 large wildlife herbivores (African elephants (Loxodonta africana), African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), and Nubian giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis) with active snare wounds were included in the study. The animals reported with snares were tracked and immobilised for snare removal and sample collection. Swabs were aseptically collected from snare wounds and transported under cold chain to the microbiology laboratory at Makerere University for analysis. The swabs were cultured and subjected to Gram staining and biochemical tests for bacterial identification. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar, following CLSI guidelines. Data were analysed descriptively, and non- susceptibility profiles were determined against commonly used antibiotics. The study revealed that samples collected from snare wounds were colonized with diverse bacterial species, with Staphylococcus aureus (29.4%), Escherichia coli (23.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (17.6%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.7%) being the most prevalent. Gram-negative bacteria were predominant (64.7%) isolated from the snare wounds. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed susceptibility of the isolated bacterial species to commonly used antibiotics (oxytetracycline, penicillin & streptomycin) however, high non- susceptibility to ampicillin (74.2%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (58.1%) was recorded. The findings in this study revealed that snare wounds of the three large wild herbivores in MFNP were colonised with clinically significant and multidrug-not susceptible bacteria, posing risks to their health with implications on conservation efforts, and potential for transmission of not susceptible bacteria genes to other wildlife species. The study recommended integration of Antimicrobial non-susceptibility surveillance into wildlife health management program for free-ranging wildlife, strengthening the removal of snares from the conservation area through targeted patrols, enhance laboratory capacity, adopt the One Health approach and scale up long-term monitoring.
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ItemOrganic fertiliser production through bioconversion of industrial plant and Nile perch solid bi-products in Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)The study sought to explore sustainable waste management by converting plant and Nile Perch solid industrial bi-products into nutrient-rich organic fertilisers. The research was conducted around Lake Victoria in Uganda, targeting the Nile Perch fish processing industries. Solid fish waste was mixed with sawdust and coffee husks, then processed using three composting methods; natural, Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO) and anaerobic composting. Nutrient profiling of the raw materials and the resulting fertilisers was conducted, focusing on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), carbon (C). Natural composting and use of IMO methods produced solid fertilisers with significantly higher NPK values compared to anaerobic production methods. For fertilisers produced using ratio 1, the highest nitrogen content (2.75%) was recorded in IMO composting, followed closely by natural composting (2.74%), both exceeding the levels found in commercial and anaerobic composts. Phosphorus and potassium levels followed a similar trend, with IMO compost yielding 2.02% phosphorus and 2.23% potassium. For fertilisers produced using ratio 2, natural and IMO composts again outperformed other methods, with potassium content reaching 2.54% and 2.23% respectively critical for fruiting and yield. Additionally, the C:N ratios in IMO and natural composts ranged between 13:1 to 17:1, falling within or near the optimal range for effective nutrient mineralisation and plant uptake. The study concluded that Nile Perch industrial bi-products, when appropriately processed with plant bi-products, particularly through IMO and natural composting they offer high-quality organic fertilisers. This not only mitigates environmental pollution but also offers a sustainable, high-quality alternative to inorganic fertilisers for crop productivity in Uganda.
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ItemStakeholders’ knowledge, attitudes, practices and constraints in the Apiculture value chain in Napak, Buliisa, Kaliro and Kween Districts, Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)This study was undertaken to determine knowledge, attitudes, practices and constraints of beekeeping in Kaliro, Buliisa, Kween and Napak districts. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 89 participants along the apiculture value chain. The respondents included beekeepers, traders and district entomologists. Beekeepers were purposively recruited using farmer data lists obtained from district entomology officers in the department of production. Other stakeholders like traders were identified through extension workers in the selected districts. A pre-tested check list was used to collect data from participants through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Data was analyzed thematically and results presented as texts and figures using QDA Miner Lite 2.0.9. Study results revealed that the apiculture value chain is majorly dominated by male actors and simple management, medicinal value of honey and pollination enhancement drove beekeepers to join beekeeping. Beekeepers mainly used traditional hives characterized with low production. There was a knowledge gap in routine apiary management practices which greatly affected production. Farmers had limited knowledge and skills in hive products processing and value addition. Lack of equipment, inadequate production knowledge and skills, poor extension services, bee pests and diseases coupled with limited market for honey products were the major challenges affecting stakeholders in the apiculture value chain. To strengthen beekeeping as an alternative livelihood source, the study recommends bridging of existing production and marketing knowledge gaps through partnerships between government and non-government development actors. Farmer group formation should be encouraged to enable collective marketing and access to financial support.