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PROGRAMS
Rhino Reintroduction and Breeding Program
Rhino Reintroduction and Breeding Program
Our prime objective is the reintroduction of rhinoceros into Uganda. This program consists of three phases:
The first phase is to raise awareness about rhinos and to educate people regarding their threatened status. To accomplish this goal, RFU imported and relocated two rhinoceros to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) in Entebbe and welcomes visitors to our rhino sanctuary daily.
The second phase is breeding a sustainable rhino population at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. We have had two births (June and October 2009) and are awaiting a third. These are the first rhinos born in Uganda in over 25 years.
The third phase is the reintroduction of rhinos back into their original habitat. When there is a sustainable population, rhinos will be relocated into Uganda's protected areas including Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.
NOTE: Due to lack of funding, we were unable to run our education program in 2009. This is a fantastic program for the children and we are actively seeking funding and hope to bring this program back in 2010-2011.
Our education team runs programs for the primary six classes in all of the surrounding schools. RFU has visited over 200 schools! Our program consists of both classroom teaching and a visit to the rhino sanctuary. At the sanctuary the kids do activities at our education centre facility and then take a trip to meet the rhinos. These programs are a huge hit and the kids love their time with us.
Our educational materials include learning tools regarding 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.
We also educate each and every visitor to our sanctuary! We provide written information about our rhinos and the importance of preserving these magnificent animals. During our tracking ventures, our trained guides teach and answer questions.
Community Outreach NOTE: Due to lack of funding, we were unable to run our community outreach program in 2009. This is an important program to our community and we are actively seeking funding and hope to bring this program back in 2010-2011.
Rhino Fund Uganda is committed to working with local communities through an active outreach program. We teach about our sanctuary and discuss land conservation and animal protection.
Rhino Fund Uganda helps with both the animals inside the sanctuary and in the community at large. Due to poaching for bush meat, which is very common in our area, there are many abandoned young animals. Some of the young that are found by local people are brought to the sanctuary. We provide expert care, rehabilitate, and release these animals at our sanctuary. Some of our recent patients have been duikers, reedbucks, bushbucks, and vervet monkeys.
Local Support
Our community uplift programs aim to increase skills and earning potential in our neighbouring communities. We make regular visits to six of the surrounding villages.
Our community support projects include: teaching the making of handicrafts that we sell in our gift shop including bead making, weaving, and carving; setting up bee keeping/honey producing projects which are sold at local markets; and organizing drumming and singing groups which perform locally.
In addition, approximately half of the people who work at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary have been recruited from the surrounding villages. We provide job training as needed and communicate any job openings to the local villages.
Coming soon….. Ziwa is pleased to announce the start of a nursery and junior school on the sanctuary grounds for the children of our employees and surrounding areas. We are very excited about this new program and the lifelong benefits it will provide to our extended family here at the sanctuary!
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