World Rhino Day

‘The Rhinos here to celebrate our Golden Jubilee’

Uganda was once the home to thousands of rhinos, however by the 1960s, the numbers were down to only 400 Eastern Black Rhinos mostly in Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison falls National Park as well as 300 Northern white Rhinos mainly in the Murchison falls National Park. During years of civil unrest in 1970s and early 1980s, the remaining rhinos were poached to extinction with the Northern White Rhino last seen in 1982 in Murchison Falls NP, while the last black rhino was last seen in Kidepo NP in 1983.

Today only 8 Northern White Rhinos exist in the entire World with non existing in the wild. (The last were last seen in 2006 in Garamba National Park, plans to move them to Kenya were never realized).

(4 previously in held in a Czech Zoo are now back in Africa calling the Ol Pejeta Sanctuary in Kenya home, 1 remains in the Czech Zoo, 2 are in the U.S.A)

Rhinos are popular for their horns so believed to contain (scientifically unproven) medicinal healing properties of curing impotence in manhood mostly in the Asian world.

In South Africa alone, 448 rhinos were poached in 2011, Early this year Rhinos were poached at a rate of 2 Rhinos a day!!

It is such a pity that man is the cause of the demise of the rhino and is known as the only predator of the adult rhino. In the wild, the adult black or white rhino has no true natural predators and, despite its size and antagonistic reputation, it is extremely easy for man to kill. The dramatic decline in rhino is unfortunate in an era of increasing conservation however in Uganda great efforts have been made to save this threatened specie.

Formed in 1997 the aim of Rhino Fund Uganda, was broadly described as “to create a sanctuary where rhinos can breed, with the aim of releasing them back into the wild”. Albeit true, a more effective conservation approach has been taken, describing their aim as follows:

Creating a secure environment, where rhinos can breed, forming a nucleus-breeding herd, from which groups of rhinos can be translocated into the Ugandan national parks.

The first six rhinos were introduced to this habitat during 2004/5, a period of four years elapsed before the first calf was born in June 2009. Subsequent to the first rhino’s birth, five more were born in regular intervals, with the last one on the 10^th of January 2012. Of the six calves, three are male and three are female, making up a total of six males and six females on the sanctuary, (of which the first calf was named ‘Obama’; as his father is from the Solio ranch in Kenya and the mother from Disney Animal Kingdom in Florida, USA.)

Today the 70sq. km Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary project is passionately led by Angie and Johan Genade boasting of a luxury Safari lodge as well as budget accommodation.

The sanctuary still faces Poaching threats but with increased staffing of well trained UPDF- UWA facilitated personnel, the team keeps abreast of the ever-chaining threats and modus operandi of criminal activities.

The Rhino, being one of Africa’s Big Five has enriched Uganda’s tourism safari packages. Most tour operators have added this exiting walk as a must stop, en-route to Murchison Falls National Park. The Sanctuary is 2 hours drive from Kampala on the Gulu highway and the dirt road (on the left at Nakitoma trading centre, after Migera Town) to the sanctuary is very noticeable (marked by 2 Rhino sculptures) leads you straight to the Sanctuary gate. From there the sign posts are clear.

From 441 visitors recorded in 2006, to last year’s 9479 the numbers should reach a record 10,000 visitors this year.

As the world marks World Rhino day, we in Uganda have more reason to visit the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary or at least the Uganda Wildlife Educational Centre in Entebbe this weekend to support this noble cause. More funding will as well go along way in taking the Rhino back to the Wild.

Together we can conserve the Rhino for generations to come.