Mammal studies in Uganda 1878–1980

Abstract

In the century since Emin Pasha's observations in 1878, the study of mammals in Uganda has gone through three distinct phases. Up to the First World War the main studies were through expeditions and collectors and the material they brought back to museums in Britain and America. Their work was supplemented by significant contributions from a small number of dedicated residents. The second phase, broadly between the two world wars, was largely dependent on field studies by local residents who continued to send material overseas. The last phase, following the Second World War, witnessed an enormous expansion in mammal studies. These were made possible through easier access to the country, improved facilities in Uganda, the need to develop management techniques for the large mammals and a greater desire to understand tropical faunas. Unfortunately, by the mid-1970s, due to social and economic pressures, these studies had to be greatly curtailed.