The Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) has ‘baptised’ a male Bengal white tiger ‘Yura’.
Yura and another tiger at UWEC were imported in 2020 from South Africa in exchange for 25 monkeys before the animal centre invited individuals and companies to take up the guardianship role of the two big cats.
Yuti Breweries Ltd under their flagship beverage brand Yura Beer have now signed an agreement with UWEC that gives them the naming rights for the White Tiger in the Entebbe zoo hence the name ‘YURA’
Yuti Breweries, in the process contributed UGX 30m towards conservation and animal welfare at Entebbe Zoo.
Punit Shah, the Managing Director of Yuti Breweries pledged to have his company continue engaging in conservation activities and donations every year in order to create awareness among the public on the importance of protecting and conserving the endangered species.
He said that Yura, the biggest of two existing tigers, symbolises leadership, strength, majesty and fearlessness.
Shah urged Ugandans and foreigners to visit the Entebbe Zoo and watch the tigers as well as a host of other wildlife in their fenced enclosures such that we can all contribute towards the welfare of all the animals.
According to Eric Ntalumbwa, the UWEC public relations manager, each of the two tigers consumes between 8-10kg of meat everyday among other foods such as chicken and liver, equivalent to a cost of sh150,000 per day.
Uganda remains the first East African country to accommodate tigers, which last existed in the 1970s.
Vincent Kalanzi, who used to work at Entebbe zoo from 1972 to 1976, said the last tiger at the zoo was shot dead in the 1970s after escaping from its enclosure and injuring one person.