Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary : The peace, quiet and the wilderness “feel” of Ziwa rhino sanctuary makes it a special stopover for a trip to Murchison Falls National Park. It hosts the only wild population of rhinos in Uganda. Its charm isn’t in the fact that it has close to 30 of them, rather, it is assurance of seeing them anytime you visit.
This is partly because their movements are monitored 24/7 so as to prevent them from going extinct. This follows an uncontrolled poaching rate in Uganda’s national parks during the 1980’s guerilla war. The setback facilitated the sale of rhino products in the black market—something that fueled a drastic drop in their numbers to zero.
Accordingly, Ziwa rhino sanctuary was established in late 1990s as a breeding ground for newly translocated rhinos. It started out with less than 15, but overtime, their numbers have doubled following their successful adaptation into the ranch. Once their numbers rises to 50+, they will be distributed into Uganda’s savannah parks with the intent of making their eco-system complete.
To see the ones in this lush woodland which covers 7 000 hectares of land (Ziwa), you will be taken for a guided bush walk through the sanctuary. The crew that guides the tour knows well about the rhinos and wildlife in general at different times of the day. The excursion will begin off with a briefing during which you will be given very clear instructions. The walk lasts roughly one hour before the final encounter with the rhinos at a random location in the ranch where they are grazing or resting.
In an effort to keep the rhinos wild, they haven’t been habituated as this is not a zoo. As such, they are very territorial. To avoid any possible attacks, you will be advised to keep a seven meter radius from them.
The hike through the bush is moderate but dogs are not allowed on trails due to their noisy nature, something the rhinos find irritating. For the same reason, you are advised to observe silence while in their presence. The best time to see them is early morning or late afternoon when they are actively looking for food.
As the sun gets hot, they tend to disappear into distant tree shades and become docile. At present, three mothers are expectant. If lady luck sides with you, one might give birth on the day of your visit. There is no extra charge for witnessing this national geographic moment. Other wildlife you are likely to run into include Uganda kobs, oribis, bush bucks, water bucks among and a number of other bird species.
