Abundance and distribution of wild animals around oil and gas facilities and infrastructure in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

Abstract

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.