Rhino Tracking in Uganda
Rhino Tracking in Uganda was reintroduced after years without these big games. Rhinos bring back the count of the Big Five complete. Would you wish for the Big Five Games on your safari to Uganda? Right, the opportunity is back to hunt the rhinos on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Then, the complete Big Five Games comes together with other animals that are found in other game parks.
For over 20 years Uganda missed out rhinos on its mammal menu in the wild. Before story about rhinos in Uganda was rich, not until 1980s when the last rhino was hunted in Ajai wildlife in Arua district West Nile region in Northern Uganda.
To watch the endangered and magnificent creatures, it’s only at Ziwa. This was set a bleeding point for rhinos in the bush. And from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, there’s a plan to re-introduce rhinos back to others protected areas like Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.
Meanwhile Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a stopover en-route to Murchison Falls National Park from Kampala. It’s a promising land with now aggregate digits of rhinos under monitoring. And today, Ziwa is specifically home to about 30 rhinos and bled from the 5 which were imported from Kenya in 2005.
Facts about rhinos in Uganda
Before rhino extinction, Uganda had rhinoceros that live in some protected areas. Ajai game reserve was the capital for the highest number of rhinos in Uganda. However, high performs of poaching for rhino’s ivory, the species (rhinos) were hunted down. By 1937, Ajai wildlife was established and by 1950s it was upgraded to protect the endangered rhinos against human threats.
In 1962, anti-poaching project established at the reserve under the World Wildlife Fund support. By 1965, under the private management, Ajai game reserve had about 60 to 80 white rhinoceros, but with time all were hunted to extinction. And the project never solved the poaching until the rhinos got extinct from the reserve.
Then, 2005 rhinos were reintroduced back in Uganda by the Rhino Fund Uganda. The 700 hectares Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch was established and 5 rhinoceros were imported from Kenya. The sanctuary was set as a bleeding center for rhinos in the wild in Uganda.
Today a full list of the Big Five is possible in Uganda. The Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch was at first a private managed project. Then later became co-managed with Uganda Wildlife Authority and Today the Ranch is fully managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Rhino Tracking at Ziwa
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the only spot to track rhinos in the wild of Uganda. Though rhinos also are found at Entebbe Wildlife Education Center, but for natural attention Ziwa is the only option. The sanctuary has skilled rangers who are well trained and experienced with knowledge and safety appliances.
It’s tracking because the rhinos are monitored on locators which are used to locate their whereabouts. Rhinos wander on the 700 hectare ranch, this makes it necessary to drive to the rhinos’ areas. The track start by following craws, and dumps on foot. Finding the endangered mammals you watch at a reasonable distance. However the rhinos are very dangerous animals which reach to any threat, distance consciousness is ideal
Along the track, you notice that the ranch got a lot of nature to offer. Several bird species call Ziwa ranch their home and among these are the shoebill stork. Several antelope species like Uganda Kobs, Oribis, Bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs mongoose, ground squirrels, several monkeys, lizards butterflies among others.
When is the best time to track rhinos?
Rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch are tracked all year around. The ranch is located in the northern direction from Kampala, the region feature the savannah grasslands and thickets. This makes it possible to track the rhinos any time both rainy and dry season. However, the prolonged dry season is more preferable to track as the grass are shorter and a walk is made easy. The longer dry months of June to September and December and February are best.
Rhino tracking rates.
Today, rhino tracking shifted from the private management of Rhino Fund Uganda to Uganda Wildlife Authority. The rates of tracking vary in accordance. A percentage of the rates paid goes straight to rhino conservation fund. The rates mentioned include entrance and tracking fees.
Adults
- None residence $50 per person
- East African Resident $40 per person
- Ugandans #10,000
Children
- None residents $25
- East African residents $20
- Ugandan residents #10,000