Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Rhino were wiped out in Uganda by the 1980s, and Ziwa was set up in 2005 as a breeding sanctuary to bring them back: a fenced area of around seventy square kilometres north of Kampala stocked with southern white rhino from Kenya and the United States. The population has grown steadily through births on site. Visitors track the animals on foot with rangers, approaching to within a short distance, which is a very different experience from a vehicle.

Background

The sanctuary is a private ranch, the Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, lying north of Kampala, approximately 164 kilometres away by road. An electric fence of 2 metres surrounds its 70 square kilometres, and approximately 78 rangers and security guards watch the rhinos 24 hours daily. The herd began with six animals, four purchased from Kenya's Solio Ranch and two given by Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. It reached thirteen by June 2013, 15 after a calf was born in April 2014, twenty-two by March 2018, 33 in December 2021 and 48 as of July 2025. At least 40 mammal and reptilian species share the ranch, among them monkeys, antelopes, hippopotamuses, crocodiles and tortoise.

Source: Wikipedia, "Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary"

Highlights

• The rhino tracking - approaching the animals on foot with rangers.
• The breeding programme - the project reintroducing rhino to Uganda since 2005.
• The shoebill trip - canoe trips in the swamp on the property for shoebill storks.
• The nature walks - guided walks and night walks in the sanctuary.

When to go

Year round; tracking runs through the day with early morning and late afternoon most comfortable. It is a standard stop on the way to Murchison Falls. Booking is advisable.

What to expect

The rhino are in a fenced sanctuary and closely monitored, which is not a wild encounter. The tracking walk can be long and hot depending on where the animals are. It is expensive for the time involved.

Nearby

Murchison Falls is north, and Kampala is south.

Key facts