EP 4. The Stolen Shoebill: A Tale from Mabamba Swamp

Deep in Uganda's Mabamba Swamp lives the shoebill – a bird so prehistoric-looking it's often called a "living dinosaur." But who would dare steal such a magnificent creature right from its natural habitat?

Meet Hannington Kasasa, chairperson of the Mabamba Wetland Ecotourism Association, whose remarkable journey from curious 9-year-old boy to pioneering bird guide spans nearly four decades. Sitting beneath an acacia tree at the Mabamba landing site, surrounded by busy fishermen and the constant activity of weaver birds building nests, Kasasa shares his extraordinary story.

CREDITS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: GORILLA CREATIVES

PRODUCERS: Ssozi Joseph  I  Bahati Henry

DIRECTOR: Ssozi Joseph

EDITOR: Ssozi Joseph

SOUND DESIGN & MIX: Ssozi Joseph, DonZilla, Kasule Jamil

MUSIC: Akanyonyi By Ganda Boys

GUESTS:

Hannington Kasasa, Bahati Henry, 

For feedback, sponsorship opportunities, or inquiries, please contact us at;

Email: business@gorillacreatives.org

Text,Call,WhatsApp: +256 783 157 177

We’d love to hear from you!

Chapters

• 0:00 The Stolen Shoebill Introduction
• 1:03 Meeting Huntington Kasasa at Mabamba
• 5:42 First Tourist Encounter and Biscuits
• 11:32 First Shoebill Sighting Experience
• 15:44 From Student to Professional Guide
• 21:30 Bird Trafficking and Shoebill Theft
• 28:40 Conservation Efforts and Tourism Pricing
• 31:44 Closing Thoughts on Conservation

Transcript

Ssozi: 0:00

Picture this Someone attempting to steal a shoebill A bird so unique it's often called a living dinosaur from the heart of Mabamba Swamp. Sounds like the plot of an adventure novel, right? Yet this audacious event actually happened. But before we dive into that wild story, we sit down with Mr Hannington Kasasa, a former primary school teacher who found his calling in bad guiding over a decade ago. He takes us back to the very first time tourists arrived in Mabamba in search for the elusive shoebill. An encounter so unexpected that the locals fled, fearing that the tourists came for the slave trade. Under the shade of an Acasia tree at Mabamba Landing site, we sat down for a conversation. Around us, fishermen prepared their nets, passenger boats came and went and tour guides waited for visitors. Nearby, a tree buzzed with weaver birds busy building their nests. Please introduce yourself. And where we are.

Ssozi: 1:26

I'm Kasasa Hannington, the leader or chairperson of Mabamba Wetland Ecotourism Association. The place is called Mabamba Wetland or Mabamba Bay, which is located in Wakiso District, close to Mpigi. This wetland is divisible in two districts Wakiso and Mpiji. We started in 1983 and I'm one of the founders, or one of the carriers of this place. This is the place where we found the Shubilus, which has become an IBA, which is important for the area, and it also became the Ramsar site, being designated under the government. When did it become a Ramsar site? It was in 2002, being designated under the government, and one of the who started these Ramsar conventions in the whole world he came here, watered the bridge, so he came here to form this place very, very important.

Ssozi: 2:33

And were you born here? No, I just came in because I was following my mother. I was born in Luwero district, but on my way of viewing here then I saw that there is an important thing here and due to meet some of these people who made these textbooks of birds he was one of the fans. So when they reach here, it was very, very, very terrible. The brat books you know the brat books Communication communication for these people. It was very, very, very terrible. The brat books you know the brat books Communication Communication for these people Was terrible, both the bottom men, the local communities around and the founders of these textbooks. So it was very terrible. So, due to that incident, that's how you stayed. Yeah, I came in there because they are just throwing even biscuits so that I can have some.

Ssozi: 3:31

I had one of these guys. He's called Kirumira Kisolo. We started with him because he was the one who tells me that these people, they are looking for the big bird. It's there in the wetland. Yeah, but he couldn't. We didn't know that it could be very important to him. So you see, these people, they have been coming on holidays because they couldn't know that other people can do this. So we continue doing well, calling other people to come and the development of the place and more awareness. That is how Mabamba became very, very important A birding spot, a birding spot for many other species. Now we have like 300 species around, including 84 species in this one.

Ssozi: 4:21

Do you have records of how many people pass through here in a year? Yeah, we have. We counted 76, 76? 1000 people?. No, 76%, 76% of tourists Out of 100 Come through here. Yes, and we started with only like 4 or 3 people, so the thing has now extended. And we started with only like four or three people, so the thing has now extended. So 73% of the total tourists that come to Uganda also cross through Mabamba. Can you imagine how much traffic that is, bro? It's a lot. I'm going to take you back a bit.

Ssozi: 5:04

Tell me about your first encounter with the Shoebill when you first saw it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, my mind was not very surprised. My surprise was to see a white person coming in To see a bird and I was asking myself, why are they looking for this bird, this particular bird? So my question goes to them. I was asking them why. They said, no, we are here, we want to see this bird.

Ssozi: 5:28

So, due to these people of learning away from them, the local people were running away from them. They are just learning away because they are mentioning. They are mentioning that time that they get the African people, they put them in the industry, in their industries. Then it they are banned there. So we were running away from them. This is love trade, yeah, this is love trade. So it was too much supplies at this point. So that's why they started just pushing, pushing biscuits, becoming closer, but my wife picking those biscuits running away, and then other stakeholders, like this boatman. They just came to me. They took all the biscuits, my boxes, away. So I continue going back so that I can pick some For the more. Then I came closer to those people. Do you remember which year was this? How old were you? Yeah, I was nine years, nine years, yes, I was nine years, nine years, yes, I was nine years.

Ssozi: 6:26

Communication was not here, but even I cannot speak Swahili, I cannot speak English In 1983. In 1983. Yeah, in 1983. So that is the time of starting here. So the biscuits got you closer to these people and the tourists. They spent that time, they spent one day without seeing anything here and they went back. Then the next year, in 84, they came back here at the same time. That, please, we want to find this back. But you had seen it before Me. No, no, but that gentleman Kisoro, he was knowing them, that these birds, they are there Now.

Ssozi: 7:15

We, now the tourist, wrote something down about the money. It was four dollars To see that bird In 83? In 83. That, please, this dollars. It is enough dollars To see that bird In 83. In 83. That, please, this dollars, it is enough for you. Take us.

Ssozi: 7:30

So the money was taken by Kisolo, not me. Yeah, and why? It's because I couldn't know that these dollars can work. That's money for what? Important Now, me, I ended up with having these biscuits, the biscuits, yeah, kisolo took the dollars, the dollars, and the dollars there were. Even someone came taking it from him. Someone took the dollars from Kisolo yeah, from him, because he couldn't know, because he was just seeing these peppers. Nothing for this is money, even if you ask him. He just gave it to someone. And then someone gave me like a it was, I think I remember it was 25, 25, southern Uganda's Obote, obote's money, 25. Yeah, so it was terrible. And then the gentleman took the dollars. So that's how we started here and we saw that the place has become important here and they are receiving many people, many tourists, many companies. We are making more awareness so that Mabamba has become like it is now.

Ssozi: 8:40

To have people in the area Coming to see the area and the birds, yes. To have people coming to see the area and the birds, yes. And then the very first day you saw the shoebill yourself with your own eyes. Do you remember? I remember how was that? Because we spent with that tourist five days. He camped there down and due to his camping, he told me please, let us cooperate, nothing else from us. And then the time they he told me please, let us cooperate, nothing else from us. And then the time they came with a bird on a picture that this is what we want. So we went the first day missing. The second day we missed it the third day we missed it On the first day.

Ssozi: 9:21

That's the time we saw him, because for him, he came with binoculars and we didn't know that binoculars are useful. Oh, they can see far a bit or maybe bring the object closer. So he was the one even. Please take me here, take me here. Though we were. Kisolo knows all the place around, but he couldn't know that this is the bird they are looking for. So the gentleman was happy. He said please, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly.

Ssozi: 9:51

So the bird flew very far from the other part, then coming, coming, continuing, using binoculars, looking, viewing, viewing, viewing. Then later it landed in this place. There is an open place there where it landed. Now it was an open place. Now it's covered Due to some climate. Now it's bush, now it's bush, yeah, but it was open, yeah, during that time.

Ssozi: 10:19

So we went here quickly, we went with them. They saw the bird. After seeing the bird, they came back quickly. They get a very big camera, very big one. They said this is what we are looking for. We went back quickly because we are pedaling. We couldn't have these machines. Machines are new ones, but we are pedalling.

Ssozi: 10:41

But even pedaling, it was not including me, he was Kisolo, it was Kisolo. How old was Kisolo then? Kisolo, I think he was 30 or 40 years. Is he still around? Yeah, he's around here. You should show me Kisoro. Yeah, I will show you how old was he by that time. He was like 30 or 40 years that time, yeah, now he should be 70. It's very old, 80. Aha, it must have been in that year, because now me I have, he stays around. Yeah, now I'm 50 years. Yeah, me, I'm 45,. So you see, you see, now that man should be like In 80 plus.

Ssozi: 11:21

So they brought out a big camera. Yeah, we went back into the swamp pedaling very quickly, and then we saw the shoble. The gentleman was very happy. It started when we were pedaling, going closer and that was the first time you saw About 100%. I said now I'm seeing him, I'm very happy, why and that's the first day you saw it as well, that's true. So after getting many pictures, enjoying, being happy, because he was even shaking my hand, shaking the Chisoro's hand, yes, please, I'm very happy.

Ssozi: 12:01

But on his way back, what he did? Because he wanted to give me something and I said this is for what? So I refused even to take even a single coin of money. So only the money. Kisolo got the money and I told you that he ended it with nothing. Yes, Kisolo took the money, but Kasasa gained something far more valuable, Education.

Ssozi: 12:32

So what he did, he took me to the school in Zziba. Here I was schooling there. Then he said no, no, no, get a better school. You never know, you'll be acting as a guide in the place. So they paid all the school fees. So from here we went back where I came from. They paid everything was, um, convinced by the Headmaster and convinced by by the teachers there, because I couldn't have communication, communication skills, so the communication was through those teachers. They did good to me because they got three years' payment for the school and all other requirements. So they left everything there. So I started in Bombo Primary School. It was like five years later. Then they came back here. They said please, they took me to have a certificate in Naivasha and at Warzim, and that's how they started becoming different groups. So then they gave me the text book.

Ssozi: 13:36

The information started flowing that there is a bird here, yeah, but can you imagine where it started from? I know it's crazy. It's crazy. It's a beautiful story, this story about it. So from Naivasha you got your certificate, yes, and since then I got my tourism certificate there.

Ssozi: 13:55

What year was that? It was in, because it has to be one of the first years. It was in 89. 89. It was in 89. 89. It was in 89. So he's among the first birders in Uganda. Yeah, it was in 89. The second, the first person who did tourism in Uganda, he was Johnny. I think he got a diploma. Then Byaruhanga, Byaruhanga Herbert. He was the one who did the first degree in uganda. That was him. So they all came here.

Ssozi: 14:29

They found me here, yeah, when I'm here, and you were already, because since 83 he's been in contact with him. He's been, he's been seeing birds. The UWA started when I'm here, UTB started when I'm here. Then I started even communicating to those managing director UWA, managing director Uganda Tourist Board. And just when they produced the first book, where to Watch Birds in Uganda, then I saw my name there on page 15 about Mabamba. That, please, Hunnington, can act as a guide in Mabamba. That's how I started. So how has it evolved since then when it comes to tourism in this place, from your perspective? How have you seen Mabamba grow? How have you seen the community grow from birding and tourism?

Ssozi: 15:25

The effects, both negative and positive. Let me start with the negatives. Around these people, it was more and more awareness to them, or to sensitize them, that birds are important. Yeah, because even if they see a white person, they don't have this Communication skills, communication skills to To tell them, to tell them. The second negative was that all people around, due to their being afraid of these white people, they couldn't love them. When they come, they just disappear. So that is a negative.

Ssozi: 16:11

Another negative, even if the government started within this area, the area is covered by church mission. So the church mission is also a big problem in the area, because the place is a very important place, which is with the ecosystem. And, again, the church does not allow people to develop Because the lands, the church landowners, the church landowners don't let me put this to him the way he wants to say it the church limits birding spots Because there are so many birding spots along here, but most of this land is owned by the church. Sure, and this is the church of Uganda, yeah, church of Uganda. So what they do is they cut down all the trees. You see all those hills, All those hills were covered by trees. It's down now, but those trees were home to birds, different species of birds, and their food is down here in the swamp. So the church is one of the problems here. On this ecosystem, that's what he's trying to say Now positively, positively, we all the guides who joined it the birding ecosystem they have upgraded, they have at least extended.

Ssozi: 17:38

You've seen the boy I was telling you he was driving Now, look at him, he's so smart putting on a T-shirt. All those who came in, they are feeling now very, very good. They are friendly to all clients, they can speak out, they are trained. Due to their being trained, they have at least achievement. And due to make this association, we made an association here.

Ssozi: 18:05

We started with the Mabamba Bird Guides Club and then later, when the government came in like environmental act, they started other different associations like Zweba and Mawacha, ziba Management Plan and then, due to the formation of Ziba Management Plan or Mabamba Management Plan, they told us to make one association. So with that Umbrella, we had like 250 people in that umbrella. So some started with reforestation and then others are dealing with conservation and protection and hospitality to the clients. So we divide all this. So now the association is one of the site support group in the place. So what is the name of the association? It's called Mabamba Wetland Eco-Tourism Association. It was formed through three small associations. We have even got a working permit from the NEMA and we work with NEMA directly. We work with the wetland inspection department.

Ssozi: 19:21

All NGOs are under conservation. They came in here. Those NGOs started bringing some experts, bringing in some trainers, like some, to start poultry keeping, beekeeping, goat keeping, mushroom making shops, briquettes, what, what? So that we cannot all concentrate on? To reduce the pressure on the swamp? Yeah, to reduce the pressure in the wetland. People's economies have improved, basically, yeah, and home livelihoods have also improved.

Ssozi: 19:57

Like I was telling you, this boy I call Muchaina. He's grown up here. I've seen him grow and you know, if you don't, you know, approach youths in a certain way and give them a skill, all what they will do will be sitting on the road and then smoking most of what they are smoking and drinking what they are drinking, and then they blame it on what they are smoking. Yet if you empower them with the skills, it becomes a different thing. Let's talk about the shoe bill that was stolen. The shoe bill was stolen. Yes, because people, they are still thinking that if they take these babies, they keep them in their house. Yeah, they will be going there instead of going into the swamp, instead of taking a lot of time sometimes you miss them someone can keep them in the house. Then you go, you pay, you go. So that's the problem.

Ssozi: 20:57

So this is done by the community, some of the people from the community, but the new ones who are coming in because, you know, population are increasing all the time we, as all the people around here who study, they know what to do and they are happy to see clients. Yeah, local traffic, yeah, that's quite interesting. That's why I'm laughing. You're like, okay, who are you going to call to your home to see a shoe building? If it were me and I'm doing something there, it would be quite nice. I would be blaming it on like it was injured. Yeah, so then these guys, we started up a bad sanctuary. Yeah, I'm rescuing because, look, this is what we are going to go into with my brother here. Yes, we are going to create a rescue settlement here where we can teach people about birds that have been injured, feathers that have been injured. There's a lot of migrant birds, as he's telling us, and we are still looking for that. We don't have it. That training is not here in Uganda.

Ssozi: 21:53

How does one even trap a shoebill? It sounds almost impossible, yet someone managed to do it. Kasasa takes us through the surprising and unexpected way the stolen Shoebill was captured. To trap them they use a long rope, like this rope which is catching Nile perch. Then on the long rope they tie on a piece of rope going down. On the piece of rope which is going down, they put on a hook. On the hook they put many things Pieces of clapias, pieces of hen, chicken, domestic ones, they can put on worms, they can put on many different things. And the shoebills when they put, like this muddy fish. Muddy fish can be alive for about five days when it is on hook. So it's still playing, playing, playing, playing, playing. So the lungfish comes to get this mudfish, then swallows. When it swallows, gets hooked up, yeah, then the shoe bill can come, okay, taking this lungfish. So it takes the lungfish with the mud fish with the hook, swallows both With a rope, with a rope. So the rope stays outside. It can't fly, it cannot go, so it starts fighting. So on its way of fighting, the rope starts tying the feathers, tying the head. So the gentleman, if he's not maybe closer to that place, he finds it dead, dead. If he's close to that place, he just gets it then takes it in the house.

Ssozi: 23:50

Most times when we talk about trafficking we're talking about humans or ivory or international market, but there's local trafficking. So locals stealing these birds and keeping them in their houses so people can go and see them from their houses. I want you to tell me about the most recent bird that was stolen here, so Shoebill, which was captured, the recent one, the recent one. Yes, it was terrible that someone came with a camera, that he came, that he was helping us so that he can put a camera to those who always steal Shoebills, And the gentleman who took the cameras was a boatman. They know the very place where they put the camera. Okay, so they came when the other gentleman went away. They are the same people that came. That came following at the back of the camera and then put the camera looking down and then took it and took it. So they took the camera, they slowed it somewhere, then they took the bird, the bird.

Ssozi: 25:13

Was this a young bird? How old was the bird? The bird was the bird. Was this a young bird Looking around? How old was the bird? The bird was two months. Yeah, it was two months. How old is this new one? It is like one month and three weeks now. This one, yes, and he has just started, I think, putting the head up like this Because it takes a long time to put on long feathers and that period, if it's not taken by a human being and it's not disturbed by creatures, that is the only stage, because if it starts standing like this, it has more effort, more strength, yeah, more strength To fight for itself. To fight for itself. The mouse feels strong, even the feet, the claws, when it starts they can move together with the parents. So it was taken like that. The way the Shoebill was captured sounds almost unbelievable.

Ssozi: 26:19

Kasasa went on to describe the rescue efforts made to find and save it. We tried looking around. We reached even in the intelligence office for that matter. We opened many files in Kasanje police station about two files about that matter and the second file reached to the prosecutor in the court. Yeah, it reached there and they found that the witnesses are not enough for the file, enough for the fire. Yeah, big, big challenge. Yeah, it's still a big challenge.

Ssozi: 26:57

Yeah, now, what we did through this one, we went with the intelligence of CCTV. So all of us as community, we are just moving around, but those people let them do their work. So they are watching it from satellite, yeah, to see who is going. Yes, everyone going, everything done. How many shoe bills are in? I know, yeah, we are counting like 13 shoebills now, twelve, eleven, they are all adults, which comes to a total of twelve. That one is a sub-adult and then the young one we are counting, so it's now about 13. But we did even head countings of all with Birdlife International, counting of all the sh shoebills in Uganda. We counted 416 by that time. 416 shoebills, yes, when did you do that? It's now something like 15 years now With UWA. We did with UWA, with Bird Life International, with Nature Uganda, with Nature Uganda. Maybe.

Ssozi: 28:16

The last question I wanted to ask for clarification and for people who like to have a feel of how to see the shoebill how easy is it to see the shoebill? What are the prices involved to get the boat from Entebbe to here and then seeing the shoebill, what is the prices that you charge here? Because most people don't know all that information. Would you like to give us that information? Yeah, it's okay, because now that's why we are doing good, that we, as local communities, now the government, are getting money from here, from your initiative, from the community, from your initiative, yeah, from our initiative, yeah, from our initiative as a community. As a community, because when you bring clients here, or each, each person pays um 25 thousand back to the community, to revenue. It's a revenue, government revenue, and they are getting that amount here from our initiative.

Ssozi: 29:20

And the boat is 150 now going for the shoebill, but it takes three people. We don't charge per person, we charge three maximum. So 150,000? It's for three maximum. That's pretty much 50,000 each person. 50,000 is for three maximum. That's pretty much like 50,000 each person, 50,000 each person, yeah. So meaning, when you take the boat to see the shoe bill, it's 50,000 per person, yeah, or a minimum of three people, yes, in the boat, in the boat, yeah, that's why it is 150,000. And then when you that one is being paid before those people are using loads Roads To the landing site, to the Mabamba landing site, yes. And then the people who come from there, those who are pressing from there. We do 100,000 there For the boat, for the boat, then you add on, you add on hundred thousand there for the boat, then you, you are done 150, 150, yeah, for the, for the, your interest, how many people you have? So we do our work now, but Africans we don't. We charge them only 100,000, not 150,000. Yeah, 100,000.

Ssozi: 30:37

Well, thank you very much, Mr Hunnington. You're welcome. It was really really lovely talking to him. . The story of the stolen shoebill is a reminder of how delicate our wildlife is and the efforts needed to protect it. Thank you for listening , keep exploring, keep conserving and keep celebrating Uganda's incredible birds. This podcast is brought to you by Gorilla Creatives. Music by the Ganda Boys.