RWENZORI MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Uganda, July 6 (UPI) -- A U.N. agency has removed Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains National Park from its in-danger list after authorities reclaimed the area from civil unrest.
The World Heritage Committee approved the removal of the site from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's list after the park's management regained full control of the property from rebels who had been using it as a hiding place to launch attacks on nearby areas. The park had been included on the list since 1999.
The park also had suffered from a lack of funds and various other illegal activities, such as poaching and pit sawing.
The Rwenzori Mountains provide the most reliable source of water for the Nile River and host a wide range of bird species and threatened species of elephants and chimpanzees, as well as exotic flowers such as the giant heather.
There currently are 16 natural properties and one mixed property on the UNESCO in-danger list.
