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HISTORY
Ø To promote the reintroduction of rhinoceros to protected areas within Uganda; Ø To promote breeding programs to ensure the long term viability of reintroduced rhinoceros populations in Uganda; Ø To establish programs in conjunction with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), district governments and local communities to ensure the protection of the rhinoceros populations from poaching; Ø To conduct education programs about the endangered rhinoceros; Ø To build national support for the protection of rhinoceros populations in Uganda; Ø To conduct fund raising campaigns and generate funds in support of translocation, protection, and management of the reintroduced rhinoceros populations.
RFU is a registered charity and graciously accepts donations as tax-deductible gifts.
In 2001, two white rhinos were imported and relocated to the Ugandan Wildlife Centre in Entebbe for educational and awareness raising purposes.
In 2002, Rhino Fund Uganda and Ziwa Ranchers Ltd, entered into a lease agreement on seventy square kilometers of land which would become Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is surrounded by a two meter high electric fence – construction took almost one year and brought a lot of employment to local communities. The fence is solar powered and was designed to keep the rhinos inside and poachers outside the sanctuary.
The first rhinos arrived at the sanctuary in July 2005, from Solio Ranch in Kenya. These four southern white rhinos, Taleo, Moja, Bella, and Kori, were donated by the European Union in support of our rhino project. Our rhinos quickly adapted to their new home! Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary started welcoming visitors in late 2005.
In August 2006 two more rhinos, Hassani and Nandi, arrived from the USA thanks to a donation from Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Overnight accommodations and the restaurant opened in 2008.
Ziwa rhino sanctuary is a popular destination and most of the tour operators travelling from Kampala toward Murchison include a stop at the sanctuary as a permanent part of their itineraries. Feedback from visitors is extremely positive, and our visitor numbers are expected to continue to grow!
A security force of 40 Rangers patrols the fence, guard the gates, and monitor the rhinos 24 hours per day. The sanctuary is currently in process of becoming a game reserve, in which rhinos and other species of wildlife can be encountered, highlighting Uganda’s unique biodiversity and emphasizing the importance of conserving it. There are over 20 species of mammals already living in the sanctuary and their numbers are increasing.
Training both the bodies and the minds of the Rangers to keep them at the top of their game.
We are working toward a future in which there is a sustainable rhino population! We are very excited about adding rhinos to our current population both through the upcoming births and through additional animal donations.
We are working to expand our education and community programs to teach more people about the urgent need to conserve the rhino, the value of biodiversity in Uganda, the rhino’s place in local and global ecosystems, the impact of conservation on the community, and the importance of conservation efforts worldwide.
In addition, as many of our staff live with their families on the sanctuary, we plan to build a primary school and medical clinic so we can better care for our immediate community. Medical care and educational opportunities are located too far away for many of our families to access easily.
We intend to have a sports program with our school and plan to invite all the nearby school aged children and local villagers to participate at no cost. Living at the sanctuary we have two sports instructors. Tami is a Karate Instructor and Nico is a Qualified Cricket Coach. They are both excited to teach and share their sports!
We are currently looking for funding for our school and clinic. Please consider supporting this important project. Click here to find out more.
A report last year by the World Wildlife Fund, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and wildlife-trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said rhino poaching had reached a 15-year high, pushing the animals close to extinction. About 1,500 rhino horns were traded illegally in the last three years, despite a long-standing ban on international trade. The trade is being driven by Asian demand for horns and is made worse by increasingly sophisticated poachers, who now are using veterinary drugs, poison, cross bows and high caliber weapons to kill rhinos.
At Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary we strive to protect the rhinos through community education and tourism while at the same time providing a safe sanctuary for rhinos to live and breed. Please support our efforts toward saving the rhinos.
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