Roosevelt's legacy of hunting resurrected

KAMPALA - Destination Uganda eagerly anticipates the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park library in North Dakota - a monumental tribute to the pioneering spirit of the African safari. 

Spanning 70,447 acres, the park commemorates former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, with his statue standing proudly at the entrance.|

“This presidential library, dedicated to Roosevelt’s enduring legacy, is set to open on July 26, 2026. It will honour his resilience and environmental vision,” said Jon Earle during the Uganda-Kenya Coast Expo at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

“Unlike traditional libraries filled with books and archives, this will feature immersive exhibits designed to bring Roosevelt’s legacy to life for all visitors,” he added on Thursday.

The professor of African history at Centre College and an International Research Fellow for the Kingdom of Buganda, said the $333 million project, currently under construction on the land where Roosevelt hunted buffalo in 1883, reflects his deep connection to the region.

“Roosevelt spent nearly three years in the area, finding renewal and purpose in its rugged beauty. He later wrote that " the romance of my life began here,” Earle highlighted.

“Roosevelt’s dual legacy: although he is best known for protecting vast wilderness areas, he was equally committed to preserving the memory of the natural world before the encroachment of civilization. 

As a responsible naturalist, he made it his mission to document species on the brink of extinction. He collected specimens and wrote extensively about the life histories of animals, knowing that it might be his last opportunity to study them in the wild.”

As bison populations dwindled in the American West, Roosevelt foresaw a similar fate for the big game of East Africa, including Uganda’s West Nile region, particularly Rhino Camp.

Although he regretted missing the opportunity to document the natural history of wild bison, he was determined to capture as much information as possible during his African expedition.

“Roosevelt wrote about white rhinos as if they might someday be found only as fossils,” explained Earl.

“He hunted 296 animals, and his son Kermit killed another 216. But this was just a fraction of what they could have killed. Far more animals were killed by the scientists who accompanied them, but their focus was on less glamorous creatures - rats, bats, and shrews - species few cared about at the time.

Roosevelt, however, had a deep appreciation for even these smaller animals. He could identify many species just by their skulls. To him, his work was no different from that of the other scientists - his subjects happened to be larger.”

Uganda’s Minister of State for Tourism, Martin Mugarra, expressed optimism about the Roosevelt Library, noting its potential to highlight the history of wildlife populations and their dramatic declines over time.

He drew parallels between the Roosevelt Library and Uganda’s Sir Samuel Baker Trail, both offering important insights into the changes in animal populations.

“This library will deepen our understanding of the flora and fauna that existed before urbanization, providing crucial insights into the natural world that once thrived,” Mugarra said.

“Just like the Sir Samuel Baker Trail, which draws nature lovers from around the world, this library will help preserve and share the richness of our shared natural heritage.”

During his African expedition, Roosevelt developed close relationships with the African porters who accompanied him.

His interactions with them grew more meaningful, and his admiration for African societies expanded. As Roosevelt spent time socializing with the porters—sharing meals, travelling, praying, hunting, fording rivers, and resting together—he began to challenge his earlier assumptions about Black histories and cultures, even before reaching the royal courts of Buganda.

His survival during the expedition depended largely on the porters’ deep knowledge of the natural world.

Norbert Mao remarked on the disruptions to evolution brought by Arab traders and colonizers, noting how the Baganda once made bark cloth to cover nudity, the Banyankole churned ghee, and the Banyoro practised Cesarean sections.

“Perhaps this Roosevelt Library will shed more light on our history,” Mao said, expressing hope for a greater understanding of the past.