The shoebills stork, as of today, is now referred to as just shoebills. This endangered rare bird is going extinct, and research is still being done as to why this is happening so fast. These birds are only estimated to be around 5000+ species left in the world, inhabiting marshy freshwater swamps in Africa, for example, Mabamba Swamp, found just a few kilometers from the airport in Uganda. This makes this birding activity quite doable, as it is only a few hours and can be done on your way into or as you exit the country.

Shoebills grow for around 35+ years and start to feed on their own around the age of 5 months. In Uganda, Shoebills share fishing grounds with fishermen whose stigma birthed the company name Shoebill Safaris. At the time, Shoebills in Uganda were being killed mostly by fishermen who were fishing in the lakes and swamps where the Shoebills were located.

There was a general misconception or myth among the fishermen that shoebills bring bad luck since they believed that if you saw one first thing in the morning before you fished, you would not be able to catch any. But as we dug deeper into this myth, we found out that it was because shoebills eat the fish, hence the reason why the fishermen did not like them. Another reason the fishermen gave was that the shoebills chase and scare fish from getting into their fish nets as they plunge into the lake to catch fish.

So, this was basically a sheer conflict of interest and contributed to why they killed them. However, we stepped in and sensitized several fishermen and communities around fishing areas like swamps and lakes about the benefits of preserving these majestic birds that were slowly becoming extinct. Also showing them how they could earn a living in terms of birdwatching and how they could generally benefit the community holistically as far as tourism is concerned, hence the need to conserve them.

In 2005, we sustainably did the following at Mabamba wetland about Shoebills: –

1. With support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), we were able to build a visitor’s shade at Mabamba Swamp, the closest place between Entebbe and Kampala where one can see the shoebill. This was constructed to improve the visitor experience, providing a place where they could sit comfortably for a briefing and have a snack after bird watching. 
2. We also built a pier, which visitors would step onto to board the canoe boats into the swamp without being carried into the boats like it used to be because of mud and water.
3. We sensitized and gave basic training to site guides to guide, conserve, and manage their site and its tourist attractions. This gave them confidence to interact with the visitors and get more knowledge about these bird species. This greatly improved their income and knowledge.

In conclusion, more attainable protective measures should be put in place, and one way this can be done is through collaboration, better policies, and raising awareness.