Kampala, Uganda, September 8, 2026—Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have signed a 10-year agreement establishing a Conservation Management Partnership (CMP) for the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth Protected Area.

The partnership brings together UWA and WCS’s technical and conservation expertise to support the long-term ecological integrity of the area, and will strengthen conservation and management of Ishasha through improved wildlife protection, habitat restoration, tourism development and interventions to reduce human-wildlife conflict. 

The sector forms an important part of the Greater Virunga Landscape, one of Africa’s most biodiverse transboundary ecosystems, connecting Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Queen Elizabeth National Park and the neighboring Maramagambo and Kalinzu forests in Uganda.

Ishasha is internationally renowned for its iconic tree-climbing lions, one of Uganda’s distinctive wildlife attractions. However, the lion population has declined from an estimated 80 individuals in the 1970s to only a small number today, raising serious concerns about its long-term demographic and genetic viability. Restoring the Ishasha lion population will be a key priority. 

Where scientifically justified, and in consultation with neighboring communities, the partnership will also supplement the lion population through carefully planned translocation in accordance with national laws, relevant IUCN guidelines and international conservation best practices. 

The partnership fully safeguards the Government of Uganda’s sovereignty and ownership of Ishasha, and upholds UWA’s statutory mandate over Uganda’s protected areas, whilst putting in place a new co-management model to bring greater operational and financial support. 

Building on more than five decades of collaboration between UWA and WCS, the partnership represents a shared commitment to restoring Ishasha’s ecological integrity, securing its iconic wildlife, strengthening tourism and working hand in hand with local communities to ensure that conservation delivers lasting benefits.

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