Uganda has received eight southern white rhinos from Munyawana Conservancy in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to rebuild its rhino population.
The four males and four females arrived at Entebbe International Airport at 2:30am and were officially received by Dr. Basil Ajer, Director of Tourism, on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
“This donation is a strong vote of confidence in Uganda’s conservation systems and institutions,” Dr. Ajer said. “It reflects the trust our international partners have in our ability to protect these endangered species and responsibly grow our wildlife-based tourism.”
The rhinos were donated by African Parks, a leading conservation organization, to strengthen Uganda’s genetic stock and support future range expansion. They will be transferred to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for quarantine, veterinary monitoring, and acclimatization before joining the existing herd.
“Today is a milestone in the conservation history of Uganda as we work to diversify the existing genetic stock,” Dr. Ajer added. “We introduced six rhinos in 2006, and that number has grown to 51. Adding these eight brings us to 59, but we cannot say that is successful enough. In the early 1980s, Uganda had nearly 1,000 rhinos across the West Nile and Murchison. Our goal is to restore rhino populations in the thousands.”
The Uganda Wildlife Authority plans to redistribute some rhinos to Ajai Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park as part of the national range expansion strategy. Preparations are underway to move a seed population of about 20 rhinos to Ajai Wildlife Reserve, where civil works, habitat manipulation, water reticulation, and staff training are about 50% complete.
“We are ready for the task,” said Bashir Hangi, UWA Assistant Commissioner for Communications. “We also expect more rhinos next year that will go to Kidepo Valley National Park, where preparedness stands at about 80%.”
The arrival of the rhinos is a significant boost to Uganda’s national rhino recovery program and positions the country as a credible player in nature-based tourism and international conservation partnerships.
“Uganda has demonstrated strong leadership in rhino conservation and long-term planning for the species’ recovery,” said Martine Rickelton, Operations and Logistics Manager at African Parks South Africa. “This donation supports Uganda’s ambition to re-establish rhinos across more protected areas.”
The rhinos will be closely monitored and protected at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary before being released into the wild as part of the conservation efforts.